A Certain Dangerous Experiment
by cardinalexorcist
Summary: A certain fanfiction of To aru Majutsu no Index/Kagaku no Railgun taking place during volume NT4. The level 0 hero no where to be found, stories revolving around other students in Academy City are told-particularly one eccentric individual who stands in the name of ego-and two new organizations from Academy City's 'dark side' emerge, all impeled by a certain girl with an ahoge.
1. I) The Ghost of Academy City

Academy City was well-known for its first-class technology and high-class facilities. From nuclear research to the development of military weapons, Academy City wielded technology that well surpassed that of the rest of the world.

But this said nothing of the espers within Academy City. While not directly classified as weapon, much of students within Academy City had special abilities and talents they could utilize for a variety of purposes, such as telekinesis and x-ray vision, all science based. These esper's abilities were the source of the ongoing research within Academy City and were akin to the very pride and joy of the futuristic city.

Among these children within Academy City, which had a population of 3.5 million, a mere seven harbored the title of 'Level 5'. This was the level cap for ESP users and was the very top of the caste system among them. 'Level 5' was something that every esper dreamed for at one point in their life, though they never attained it. However, many of these level 5's who are revered are not respected for their actual personalities. There was not a confirmed two level 5s that were considered friends, though they all knew of each other by epithet. While the level 5's were all mentally unstable in some way, to whatever extent, there were two or three who were decent enough to speak to.

The one who stood at the grey line was a certain young man with short dirty blonde hair wearing a sweater vest and tie.

"I'll ask you again: How can I help you today, sir?"

"I wish to speak with the president of this large establishment immediately! As I explained before, it is an urgent matter that must be brought to his attention at the soonest possible time!"

"…And your name is…"

"Alexander Terrarium! Learn it well, my dear, for it will become a name known throughout the world someday!"

"…Right. Well, as I explained before, the president does not speak with people who can't even bother to make an appointment to show up. Your name is not written down anywhere."

"Heh."

The young man in a sweater vest folded his arms across his chest as he grinned knowingly, as if he had expected this typical situation. The elderly secretary behind the desk he stood before eyed him with an exasperated expression as she wondered why this was happening to her of all people.

"Shall I explain to you why this matter is so urgent that I must speak with him despite appearing out of nowhere, completely ignoring the normal procedure of making an appointment?"

"Please enlighten me."

"I, Alexander Terrarium, have come with a devastating matter you must hear. Just an hour ago, while I was using one of the products that this company is responsible for creating, a strange phenomenon occurred. The special storage closet you dispense to the people who pay for your fine inventions is meant to be able to bring you any article of clothing you wish so long as you have put it in before and can describe it correctly, yes?"

"…Yes…" The secretary tapped one manicured nail on the desk impatiently as she waited for him to get to the point.

"I had thought so. Just an hour ago, while I was utilizing such a function, it failed to bring me the proper article of clothing. I tried once more in case it was a mere accident, and yet it messed up once more. I tried again and again, and it only brought me the wrong article of clothing each and every time."

"Something like that should be directed to maintenance or customer service, not the company president."

"I was told that this is 'pilot error' more times than one, I'm afraid. That is why I took it upon myself to look into it. I suspect that it is a problem that stems from the very design of the device and wish to speak with the president in order to convince him to correct it, for his sake."

"You looked into it yourself? How?"

"By taking out the manual and looking at the individual parts. I had spent some time modifying it too my liking before it malfunctioned, so this is quite a distressing situation, you see."

"And did you not think that maybe it was your 'modifications' that broke it to begin with?"

"No. That's impossible. I was careful not the break anything or moving something that shouldn't be moved."

"Even if you didn't plan to, it probably happened anyways. It's not worth taking to the company president."

Alexander Terrarium frowned at the woman, who had completely lost interest, and he drew out his phone, pressing it to his ear as he turned away, apparently taking a call.

"Yeah, it's me." Alexander spoke in a serious tone immediately. "It's just as you expected. The tolerance level is lower than the standard and the problem remains unresolved. We'll have to immediately lay them all off and find suitable replacements."

"W-Wait!" The secretary shot up from her seat in surprise as she heard those words. "W-Who are you talking to?! It sounds like you were just testing me, or something!"

"I'll send you the list of names by text message." Alexander went on, completely ignoring the girl. "Please; don't praise me for my acting skills. It's my job. For now, let's focus on our work. Beginning operation: Purge."

"Hold it! I'm sorry! If you want to go the president, then I'll arrange for you to slip in between appointments!"

"…Really?" Alexander asked suspiciously with narrowed eyes. The secretary nodded, exhausted from her sudden burst of desperation.

"Please…Anything to keep my job."

"Excellent. With that sort of grit and last minute resolve, you may be better suited for your position than I thought. Keep it up and I'll withdraw my earlier opinion of you."

"...Thanks…"

The secretary's eyebrows raised as her eyes fell on the phone's screen as Alexander unconsciously lowered his arms.

"Wait a second…that phone is off."

Alexander glanced at the phone and seemed to realize this. After a long moment of silence, he shut his eyes and began to chuckle slowly, his shoulders shaking with the movement.

"Very well." He murmured before raising his head to smirk at the secretary. "I will tell you just what this phone is. It's a special modified phone that shuts off when unregistered people try to peek at the screen or touch it without permission. It's an example of how magnificent and glorious my rank is above yours!"

"…"

The secretary didn't buy it at all. It was obvious that this guy had acted out the entire conversation on the phone just to make her agree to letting him see the president.

"Security!"

Several guards heard her call and rushed over to the desk. But there was no one to be found there. The secretary looked around in surprise.

"But…he was just here….wasn't he?"

* * *

"A mere ghost cannot be caught by 'security'. How foolish, thinking you could capture me, Alexander Terrarium!"

Across from the tall building that was home to a company that invented new high tech household appliances, a bank stood by the street with full access to the public. Standing on the very top of the bank was a young man with dirty blonde hair and emerald green eyes, wearing a sweater vest and tie, as well as pants and Pikolinos shoes without laces. Despite his clearly western name, he had visible Asian features, likely due to a mixed heritage. He stuck his hands in his pocket as he titled his head back as if to laugh at the sky above him. Of course, he was too high up for anyone to have a chance of hearing him. Yet he spoke anyways for pure self-satisfaction.

"Allow me to complete my introduction! I am the great Alexander Terrarium, the most skilled teleport esper in all of Academy City! The ghost that vanishes when chased. The hunter that can never be shaken by his prey! The defender of the earth! The overlord of dimensions! The 6th level 5 who can elude the eyes of those fools playing god while sitting on their high horse in the board of directors! Gyahaha-wah?!"

While in the middle of his triumphant laughter, Alexander was caught off guard as a thin frame appeared behind him and pinned his arms behind his back abruptly, cutting him off.

"Judgment, senpai."

A young middle school girl with reddish pigtails had instantaneously appeared behind Alexander to catch him off-guard and smiled sinisterly as she tightened her grip on his arms. She wore a school uniform and a sash around her left upper-arm. The sash indicated the girl's membership in Judgment, a student-run disciplinary organization that sought to correct the students of Academy City when the acted out of turn. As mentioned before, the majority of Academy City's population was made up of students. Roughly two-thirds.

"Caught you."

"Ah." Alexander grinned as his eyes peered behind him to see who it was. "So the organization is still after me, eh? I'm impressed that you managed to find me again."

"We received reports that a strange man had disappeared after appearing out of nowhere from the building in front of us." Shirai Kuroko sighed in exasperation. "Honestly, who else could it be but you? I was dragged from my quality time with Onee-sama as well…are you prepared to pay to ultimate price?"

"Heh. I see you never fail to blatantly come out of the closet. But you shouldn't assume you've won so soon. Have you forgotten what happens when one come in direct contact with me?"

Before Kuroko could respond, she suddenly found herself several meters in the air above the bank, despite not having teleported herself there. She clicked her tongue as she saw Alexander below her laugh triumphantly once more before vanishing. She vanished as well, following a ticklish sensation in her gut that indicated another teleporter's powers being activated and she reappeared above a lamp post, where Alexander had reappeared barely a moment before. Her knees began to come down on his shoulders from behind when Alexander vanished once more and Kuroko followed. This sort of close call occurred several times before Kuroko found herself standing on a crowded sidewalk alone, unable to find Alexander. She looked around at everyone's faces, but Alexander had smoothly blended in with the crowd and vanished.

"Ugh." Kuroko sighed as she relaxed her body as scratched her head with one hand. "He may be my superior, but he's many times more childish, like the seventh. The difference between five and six along is so vast. Is he really on the same level as Onee-sama…?"

Kuroko swooned as a certain electromaster's face appeared in her mind and her urged rose as she spun on the tips of her feet anxiously.

"Do not worry, Onee-sama!" Kuroko exclaimed excitedly. "Your beloved Kuroko will hurry to your side at once!"

* * *

"Are you just going to leave her like that? As her senior teleport-type esper, you should really try to teach her to be on the same level as you."

"Hmph. Hilarious." Alexander smiled calmly as he pocketed his hands, standing hidden in an alleyway, watching the Judgment member vanish instantly. "As if I would encourage her to join such an infamous group of troubled children. She has a perfectly fine life that she can be thankful for. Who am I to ruin it?"

"…Please don't try to act cool in front of me like you do with other people. It makes me sick to my stomach."

"'Try to act cool'? Are you implying that I, Alexander Terrarium, am not cool?! And that in trying to be cool, I am failing? I have never heard something so ridiculous—"

"What exactly did you want to speak with the president of that company for anyways?" The man leaning against the wall of the alleyway cut Alexander off indifferently. "I doubt you really cared about your broken automatic closet enough to pull something like that and risk exposing your whereabouts."

"Ah, so you want to know, do you? Is your curiosity killing you? If so—"

"Answer already!"

Alexander sighed.

"My automatic closet _was _broken, thank you very much. It's been annoying me for a week now until I became fed up with it and decided to use it as an excuse. I've been planning on bugging that secretary for a while now."

"I'll ask you for the third time; why?"

"That president of that company has been ripping off ideas for young entrepreneurs intending to become rich off of their inventions and patenting his ideas before the original creators can do anything from a legal standpoint. If the ideas that he stole turned out to be faulty, he'd be forced to fix them or cancel them altogether. Considering he's a business-type person, he'll opt to choose the option that loses him less money. Fixing it would probably cost less than discontinuing the entire series, so that would be his choice. But it's not his, so he won't know how to fix it and will be forced to learn from the people who created the idea he stole."

"You plan to cause him to panic and lose money?" The man asked dully. "That's pretty petty."

"Hmph. As expected, you're a small man. I do not wish to cause him to panic. I plan to cause utter chaos that will make him rethink his entire method. I will find a fault in every idea he steals and force him to return money to those he stole the idea from until people begin to catch wind that he's been stealing these ideas. His business will spiral into bankruptcy immediately afterward and he'll soon be begging for money out on the streets."

"Excuse me—not petty. Just downright obsessive."

"Heh. Listen well, Kihara, for I will only say this once. It is my goal to be the ghost who causes those at the top the most grief while remaining just that; a ghost. They cannot catch or find it, and they doubt it's very existence due to never seeing it. And then I shall proclaim my name to them as their carefully crafted pedestal crashes to the earth, telling them the identity of the ghost whose existence they doubted; Alexander Terrarium! Bwahahaha!"

Kihara Bunshi shook his head back and forth as he stood straight and drew his black trench coat tight over his red t-shirt, brushing his greasy silvery hair back with one hand. Even for a Kihara, there was something off about Kihara Bunshi's appearance. He had extremely pale skin and his eyes appeared to be permenantly half closed, giving him a lax expression no matter what face he tried to make. He wore a pair of goggles over his forehead with the strap hidden under his silvery hair.

"Well then, Dimensional Slider, I stand corrected once again. You're just downright unsettling. Should I take this to mean that you plan to come for me next?"

"Just the fact that you would ask that should answer your question, Kihara. You, who's family name alone is enough to send shivers down a grown man's spine, should be well-aware of my motives. Good? Evil? In the end, it is all ego! My ego is for the sake of crushing those who oppress others with their own overinflated egos! A ghost has no concept of good and bad, but it understands the sadistic satisfaction of knocking people off of their high pedestals!"

"You level 5's never cease to interest me. Fine then; do as you like, number six. I hope we meet once more. Your theatrics are quite amusing."

Alexander Terrarium straightened his crooked tie with a grin as Kihara Bunshi strode into the darkness of the alley with a sinister grin on his face. Despite the nature of their conversation, the two had been dangerously close to fighting out in the small space, despite having no reason to harbor any ill will toward each other. While Alexander wasn't interested in being the good guy, his 'hobby' threatened the very existence of villains as well, which put him in the grey area. Kihara Bunshi, being a Kihara, did research with methods that could not be called 'good', but the results benefited humanity itself, putting him in a warped sort of grey area as well. The slightest change in circumstance could make these two the greatest of allies or the fiercest of foes.

And the balance of the scales was about to be tipped drastically in a negative way.

"Well, one ego at a time is the best way to go." Alexander spoke to himself softly as he set his sights back on the large building he was planning on infiltrating. "I don't want myself to get too big of a head as well."


	2. II) The Problem Child's Abduction

Tomoe Ibiki frowned was frowning as she looked down at the bench she was standing behind, an obvious expression of confliction on her face. Lying spread out across the bench was a young brown haired girl in a pink and white aodai. The Vietnamese clothing resembled more of a pair of pajamas on the girl as she was apparently asleep in it.

Tomoe Ibiki was a member of Judgment, the school run organization that corrected errant students. This girl on the bench was clearly a high school student somewhere between fifteen and sixteen. As a Judgment member, Tomoe had an obvious job to do. But the people passing through the park only saw Tomoe frozen in place as she dithered. A child even pointed in her direction to catch his mother's attention, but Tomoe ignored them.

Finally, the brown haired girl shifted and cracked one eye open, taring at Tomoe with her brown iris.

"…You can keep staring, but your body won't grow to match Misaka's proportions."

Tomoe's cheeks reddened immediately at that and she puffed her chest out indignantly.

"I am the top student of Shiragakuen, a school nearly at the same level as Tokiwadai! I have perfect grades and a bright future ahead of me! J-Just because my body isn't as developed as yours doesn't mean I go around staring at others in sheer jealousy!"

"Oh…? Then why were you staring at Misaka's sleeping form? Don't tell me you were admiring Misakas proportions for…other reasons?"

"No! Stop assuming such things without any shame on that face of yours! And is referring to yourself in the third person supposed to be cute? Illeism is certainly no way to become popular!"

Tomoe took a deep breath to calm herself as she brushed her dark braids back behind her shoulders and displayed the Judgment band that was around her arm.

"I am from Judgment. The park is not a place where you can sleep as you please. Academy City has lots of spare dormitories and boarding homes where you can go, especially since your school probably provides one. This is nothing short of loitering."

"You say this, but you didn't wake Misaka up."

"I was just stunned that there was anyone so brash as to sleep on a bench in plain sight dressed like that! It's nearly ten in the morning, you know!"

"But this Misaka has a night life. I didn't go to sleep until about two in the morning and I didn't feel like returning to my home where there is a pleasant aura. Misaka figured she'd make someone worry for a bit before returning so he can show his compassion in a tsundere manner. Thinking that, Misaka can hardly help herself!"

Tomoe pinched the bridge of her nose as the high school girl grinned sinisterly at the thought. Seeing that the girl was no longer paying attention to her, Tomoe drew out a pair of handcuffs from her belt and reached over for the girl's hands. The sound of pedestrians and people riding by on bikes suddenly vanished from the air and the high school girl blinked in confusion as she hit one of her ears with the side of her palm, wondering why she could not hear anything. It was at the last second that she noticed Tomoe slipping the cuff around her wrist out of the corner of her eye, but it was too late for her to withdraw her hand. Had sound been working, a loud crack would have been heard along with a spark that sent Tomoe flying back on her butt, her fingers tingling from the shock. Tomoe frowned as she looked up at the girl smirking heinously down at her, now standing on her feet. That clearly hadn't been static. Purple electricity was fluttering around the girl's bangs as if she were charged like a battery. Tomoe pushed herself up as sound returned to their ears.

"So you're an electromaster, huh?" Tomoe said as she clipped the metal handcuffs to her belt. "I guess I'll have to subdue you."

"Misaka should warn you; she's a level 4." The high school girl's smile widened as she licked her lips hungrily.

"Funny." Tomoe smiled slightly in anticipation as she stood up and brushed the dirt off of her skirt. "I'm a level 4 as well. Call me Tremor Noise."

The two prepared to clash in spite of the surrounding bystanders now gathering in order to clash, neither looking interested in backing down.

* * *

Inside a building camouflaged among Academy City's countless facilities, a group of men in lab coats sat in front of computers, tapping away on a keyboard. A single man in a suit was pacing among them, eyes focused on the large glass window overlooking a massive room the size of a hangar below them. Inside this room, countless 'pods' existed, though there was no way to see inside them.

"Preparations have been complete." One of the men in lab coats spoke as he turned his chair around to face the man in the suit. "We've been given the green light to continue."

"Where is Kihara?"

"He said that he prefers to work on the field at this point of the operation and is going to be contacting Antiskill. He says he's excited to begin."

The man in the suit sighed. He'd expected as much. The Kiharas were geniuses and their success partly came from their willingness to be directly and physically involved in their experiments. He'd heard a rumor that a group of them had even been sent out of Academy City to use their superior technology against actually people who were supposedly rebelling against the city of technology.

"Let's begin accessing the Misaka Network, then."

* * *

Misaka Worst's eyes bugged and Tomoe paused in mid-motion. They had been about to begin trading blows when the high school girl had suddenly froze in place and began to jerk around as if she were having convulsions. Tomoe wondered for a moment if the girl's electric abilities were going haywire before Misaka Worst suddenly collapsed to the ground and moaned audibly.

Tomoe stared at her for a long moment, considering whether she should take the chance to arrest her. But something felt off about it. Somehow, Tomoe doubted that the girl had just fallen unconscious without any injuries. Tomoe looked around to see if a doctor was convenient passing by, but rather than being disappointed, she was shocked. There was no one in the park now—no pedestrians or otherwise. Even the unmanned cleaning robots had vanished, strangely, leaving the two alone. Tomoe had been sure that there had been people waiting to spectate the fight. Where had they gone?

Rather than worrying too much about it, Tomoe hurried over to the girl's side and knelt on the ground to feel her pulse.

"Please step away from her."

Tomoe's shoulders jumped as she was startled by the sudden voice. She looked up to see several people in military-like padding and helmets marching toward her. They didn't have their shields or guns with them, so it was unlikely that they came to subdue an esper.

"Antiskill?" Tomoe murmured aloud in confusion. Had someone called them? "This student is injured. She should be brought straight to a hospital—"

"That's exactly why we're here." One of the Antiskill soldiers assured. "We'd received a call that there was an unconscious ability user who needed to be attended. This is a job for Antiskill, so as a member of Judgment, you can leave it to us."

Tomoe struggled with herself as she watched the Antiskill members pick up Misaka Worst and take her to a waiting ambulance by the street before driving away. Antiskill was a volunteer group of teachers who basically did the same thing as Judgment, but on a more extreme level, such as if an esper went wild and destroyed everything with his powers. They were not all-knowing, so how did they know that there was an unconscious girl with enough time to arrive just a few moments after she actually collapsed? Had someone assumed one of the girls was going to get hurt and called them? No; even if that were so, there wouldn't have been enough time—Just two minutes ago, Tomoe had be staring at a sleeping Misaka Worst. No one would have predicted this. It was possible that an esper with some sort of clairvoyance was present, but that was far too unlikely. That means the only people who could have called Antiskill—"

"It's a pity that your show was cut short. For what it's worth, I can apologize for you."

Tomoe whirled around to see a young man, probably in his junior year of high school, standing behind her with a calm expression as if he'd been there the whole time. He had dirty blonde hair, emerald eyes, and wore a sweater vest and tie. He stood with her arms folded behind his back as he bowed his head slightly in greeting to Tomoe.

"Good morning, Ms. Ibiki. Are you disappointed that you could not finish your skirmish with the level 4 electromaster? I am afraid that I cannot offer you much consolation. After all, I did little to prevent this from happening."

Tomoe's eyes narrowed slightly. This person had a vague accent that told her that Japanese was probably his second language, or that he had at least grown up learning a different language along with it. His knowing tone and slightly rapid speech pattern told her that he was obviously no innocent bystander.

"Who are you?"

"Me? I am nothing but a ghost. A ghost who appears when needed but is never around when looked for. You may call me Alexander if you like."

It was him.

Tomoe could tell that he had something to do with this. As she thought, this had been orchestrated. The only people who could have called Antiskill with such wonderful timing could be the people who caused her to faint.

Tomoe's face hardened as her hands gripped together.

"How did you do it?"

"Whatever do you mean?"

"Knock out that girl. How on earth did you knock her out without touching her?"

"Oho, so you've grown curious, have you? I'd been happy to divulge to you the secret if you behave yourself—"

Tomoe snapped her fingers and a shockwave flew through the air, smashing into the ground at Alexander's feet. Several cracks appeared in the ground, spreading in all directions, and the sound in the air stopped for a moment before continuing once more. Alexander smiled serenely as he observed Tomoe's piercing glare.

"By behaving, this is the opposite of what I meant."

"A student was hurt right before my eyes. I'm not patient enough to hear you talk in circles."

"Heh. I see." Alexander spread his arms out in front of him as he spoke casually. "So you'd use violence to make our conversation progress faster? Are you that desperate to save a girl you hardly knew—?"

Alexander was in the middle of speaking when Tomoe shot forward suddenly by sending a shockwave directly through the air behind her, propelling her body forward at the speed of sound at the cost of toppling several trees and benches behind her. Her fist was positioned to ram into Alexander's gut as she was unable to control her body against the g-force. The speed was too much for a normal person to evade and Alexander was still in the middle of speaking as her fist approached with an inch of impact, so blocking was out of the question.

Even so, Tomoe's fist passed through empty air.

Alexander had completely vanished from sight in order to evade Tomoe's attack. Tomoe's eyes widened as she skidded to a stop and turned around to see Alexander reappear a few feet away from where he had been standing and a few inches in the air, his Pikolinos tapping on the cracked ground as he landed softly.

Tomoe's gaze narrowed as Alexander's shoulders shook as if in anger. She was proven wrong as Alexander's laugher filled the air as he tilted his head back. Tomoe's body tensed as she crouched slightly, a strange fear gripping her chest.

"You'd introduced your ability as 'Tremor Noise', yes? From what I can see, you can control vibrations to create shockwaves and controls sound. It's a very interesting ability. Compared to that, I can only call myself one of many teleporting espers. My ego is suffering."

Tomoe clicked her tongue at this. Teleport-type espers were useful in countless ways, but their ability offered them little to no combat ability. Also, they had a limit to where they could teleport, especially if they didn't know the place that well.

Tomoe raised one hand once more and snapped her fingers. A shockwave shot forward toward Alexander's back, as he had yet to turn to face her. Tomoe waited a single beat before stomping on the ground and created an omnidirectional shockwave of vibrating energy that spread out from her as the epicenter. The ground shook along with the air, creating a minor quake over the surface of the ground. It had enough power to shellshock an animal with eardrums with pure sound. Predicting that Alexander would teleport to evade the first shockwave, she created the omnidirectional second one to hit him wherever he may teleport to.

It did not turn out the way she expected. The first shockwave, along with the second, passed over Alexander, but he showed no signs of being harmed. It should have thrown him several feet back, but he didn't even cringe. Several cracks appeared in the ground around and beneath him, so Tomoe knew that her ability had reached him, but he hadn't teleported to evade it. Tomoe was forced to hesitate as she struggled to think of a new course of action, which was difficult to do when she didn't have a clue as to how the attacks had passed through him.

Then she saw one of the pebbles that had been knocked flying from her shockwaves fly toward Alexander. Rather than bouncing off of him harmlessly, it passed through him as if he weren't there. Alexander's earlier words floated into Tomoe's mind at that moment.

Was he a ghost?

Tomoe shook her head to rid herself of that unscientific thought. His abilities must have had rules and limits. She just had to figure it out.

Alexander turned to face Tomoe with his arms still folded behind his back, smiling pleasantly as if the small scale destruction around him meant nothing to him. The fear that paralyzed Tomoe intensified as he raised one hand slowly in front of him, as if to attack.

"Hold on." Alexander said with a calm sigh. "If you destroy anything else, you'll call Antiskill back here."

"Won't you just manipulate information to prevent them from coming, just like how you called them here to begin with?" Tomoe demanded bitterly. Alexander's eyebrows rose at that.

"Ah; I see. You think that it was I who knocked out that sister and called Antiskill at a convenient time to take her away."

"Am I wrong?" Tomoe frowned at the term 'sister'. Was that girl a member of the Church? She certainly hadn't acted like it.

Alexander nodded.

"It is my intention to crush the egos of those who are behind this. I decided to speak with you since I suspected that you will pursue this event no matter what. I'm even more confident now that you've gone so far as to attack me. Am I right?"

Tomoe nodded as she carefully surveyed Alexander's expression. Alexander sighed, but his smile showed that he wasn't disappointed or exasperated.

"Very well. In that case, I shall offer you my assistance in saving that girl, so long as you go not as a member of Judgment, but as a fellow human being."

"Fine." Tomoe responded immediately. She wouldn't be able to freely act using the name of Judgment anyhow, so she'd already been planning on acting on her own. "But I can hardly trust you. First off, why don't you tell me your name?"

"Heh. I have already told you that I am a mere ghost. I am the protector of earth, Alexander Terrarium. Nothing more and certainly nothing less."


	3. III) Gentle as a Fairy

Rumiho Suigetsu literally flew through the air among the tall towering buildings of Academy City. There were many people below her, walking through the district as they went about their normal lives., shopping, sightseeing, or simply living their live carefree. Even so, not many people bothered to pay much attention to her after looking up curiously to see a figuring flying above them. In a world filled with students capable of using different kinds of esper powers, this was not unnatural, so they didn't pay it much heed.

This was entirely normal. One does not question rain in the summer, or a tidal wave after an offshore earthquake.

"Peculiar…I don't think I'll make it."

Rumiho Suigetsu's eyes narrowed as she spotted her school further ahead from her high vantage point. Despite her flight speed and altitude, she was not going to be able to reach the school by the designated time. She glanced at the watch on her wrist quickly and clicked her tongue as she saw that she was already too late.

"Ah well. Missing tutoring only becomes a problem when the teachers find me. And I really did do my best to make it on time. Maybe I'll go get a snack…Takoyaki would be nice about now."

Rumiho descended slowly as she spoke to herself. Rumiho was an attractive high school girl with long wavy black hair. She wore her school uniform, which consisted of an orange sweater and miniskirt, and she voluntarily wore high black stockings to sheathe her legs in. Her shoes gently tapped on to the ground as she descended among a crowd of people, who merely parted while casually admiring the skillful use of her powers.

Rumiho began to seek out a food stand nearby typically found within Japan, but was interrupted as a small figure gripped the back of her miniskirt and tugged on it rudely. Rumiho blinked in confusion as she turned her attention to the little brown haired girl staring at her with big eyes and permanently flushed cheeks. The stray hair sticking noticeably out of the top of her head flickered strangely as the girl released Rumiho's skirt and backed up a step, folding her arms across her small chest as she cocked her head in confusion.

"This is strange, Misaka says as Misaka is inwardly surprised by the turn of events. You're not the one Misaka is looking for, Misaka says as Misaka frowns in discontent."

Rumiho blinked at the little girl before crouching down and stroking her head with a loving gesture.

"Are you lost, little one?"

The girl immediately flailed her arms angrily at once, knocking Rumiho's hand off of her head as she held one fist up and leaned forward on one foot-a typical stance for one trying to appear antagonistic while making a point.

"No! Misaka exclaims as Misaka swells with indignity. Misaka is never lost; Misaka is looking for someone _else_who's lost! Misaka says as she demands that you rescind your earlier comment!"

"Such wonderful childish pride. Come now, girl; no need to fret. You're safe with me."

Rumiho drew the girl into a tight embrace, pressing the girl's body warmly against her chest. Misaka's face turned red as she began stuttering.

"W-What are you doing? Are you pitying Misaka?! Misaka demands as Misaka realizes that you don't believe a word she said!"

"There is nothing wrong with being lost. It happens to everyone. Your Onee-sama will help you find your parents. Where did you last see them!"

"LISTEN!"

Last Order couldn't break from Rumiho's tight grip no matter how hard she tried, but the scream made Rumiho come to her senses long enough for her to hesitate as she blinked at Last Order for a moment before quickly releasing her and standing a few feet away, back facing the now confused girl.

Rumiho cleared her throat awkwardly as she muttered to herself with an expression of self-ridicule.

"…Curses. I gave into my urges too easily when I saw such a cute child."

"I am no child, Misaka repeats as Misaka's indignity swells to even greater proportions! I told you already; I am looking for a lost child! She's no older than a year and should be a little taller than you, Misaka adds as she observes the one she who stands before her critically."

Rumiho stared at Misaka for a long moment and Misaka thought for a moment that she was considering her words deeply.

Then Rumiho turned away, hiding her face in her hands.

"It's no use. Her gibberish is too adorable."

Last Order raged for a full minute as Rumiho struggled to restrain herself. The passersby in the crowd around them dutifully ignored them—not because it was commonplace, but because they wanted nothing to do with this. They figured it was a typical sibling quarrel. Apparently, only the small girl had yet to be drawn into the spiral of misunderstandings.

Finally, Rumiho listened to Last Order's explanation.

"The one Misaka is looking for has my features, except grown up, Misaka explains at last as you finally begin to take her words into consideration. Misaka thought it was you because you had a strong electrical field that is not programmed into me yet.T he one Misaka is looking for is able to block me out, Misaka adds as she realizes you may not be able to keep up with her complicated explanation."

Rumiho cupped her chin in her fingers as she thought. Though she had to turn 90 degrees to the side to keep Last Order out of her line of sight in order to think properly. Rumiho Suigetsu was a middle school student from the famed Tokiwadai Middle School, a school for 'ojou-samas'. Aside from having a wealthy family, she was also talented and well-brought up.

Even compared to her colleagues at Tokiwadai, Rumiho was exceptional. She could read and speak several languages, had perfect grades, and had all the credits she needed for the year. However, she was also lazy despite all this. She skipped classes often and had to go to tutoring and remedial classes in order to pass with her poor attendance, her perfect grades aside. Even then, she only went to the minimum classes required.

So it wasn't that she didn't understand what Last Order was trying to say. It was just that she didn't know enough to understand properly, so she misunderstood.

"I'm not sure what you mean about blocking you and all that, but I did notice that you look a lot like Tokiwadai's 'Ace'. In fact, the resemblance is so perfect, I'm starting to wonder if I should reconsider my opinion of her."

"No! Misaka shakes her head vigorously as she feels a strong sense of disappointment. There are over two thousand lookalikes, but the one Misaka is looking for is special. But Misaka accepts that you may not know enough to be helpful, so she puffs out her chest with the resolve to keep looking!"

Just then, the ahoge on Last Order's head twitched frantically and Last Order's eyes widened into a panicking expression.

"Uh oh! Misaka exclaims as Misaka becomes frantic! A certain lost dog is nearby! If he finds Misaka, he'll drag Misaka back home and she won't be able to keep searching!"

"Isn't it good that someone responsible is looking for you? Weren't you lost?"

"Hide Misaka!"

* * *

Rumiho was well-respected as a mature woman despite being in middle school, and yet she could never deny someone with those kind of puppy dog eyes anything.

The sight of the albino that stood before her with a choker around his neck only strengthened her confidence in her actions.

"Have you seen this brat?" Accelerator, Academy City's strongest level 5 esper, asked as he held a phone up to Rumiho. Rumiho regarded it curiously, inwardly surprised that this dangerously looking person had such a cute background photo.

"I cannot say I have, although she is adorable. Is she your little sister?"

"Something like that." Accelerator muttered irritably. "That brat always runs off without realizing that someone's got to look for her."

What bothered him was that this felt different than the other times. Normally there was some random reason spurring her, such as hunger or the childish urge to play a game of some sort. But this time, she had vanished while visibly taking care to hide it from Accelerator. She was normally never the slightest bit careful, despite having access to two-thousand Misaka clones. Had something happened?

"What's funny," Rumiho continued as she squinted at the picture. "Is that I do feel like I've seen her somewhere before."

"Is that a Tokiwadai uniform?"

"Yes. Why?"

Accelerator snapped his phone close before pocketing it.

"No reason. Listen—if you do see that kid, tell her that I'm going to give her hell when I see her. Understand?"

"I don't mind, but what makes you think I'll see her?"

Accelerator shifted his walking cane forward slightly and it shuddered strangely before resetting itself to support his weight.

"This thing suddenly began to get a bunch of bugs when I passed by you. You're an electromaster, right? So is this kid. I'll bet she'll come bugging you if she's nearby, though I have no proof."

Rumiho raised an eyebrow at the albino, impressed. She _was _an electromaster, though her powers differed greatly from the great omnipotent 'Ace', who had control of any and all electrical phenomena. Her ability, Static Shock, had given her the power to fly with electromagnetic lift, something the Ace could do if she put her mind to it.

"Then I'll tell the cutie if I do see her." Rumiho promised.

Accelerator limped off without a single word of thanks after taking her time, and Rumiho watched his back vanish in the crowd and waited a while before moving.

She raised her hands up and Last Order's figure descended from the sky above and into her arms, the electromagnetic lift mentioned before wearing off at Rumiho's will to allow the child to gently fall as the force opposing gravity vanished. It was exactly so; if the child were a normal girl or had different powers, she wouldn't have been affected by Rumiho's technique. But because Last Order was an electromaster as well (level 3 at that), it had basically turned her into a giant magnet, which Rumiho used to keep her in the air by creating a 'cage' of electricity using the opposing type of electrcity-positive pushes negative and vice-versa.

Rumiho squeezed Last Order in an embrace, thanking advantage of the moment before letting the small girl down.

"Misaka knew you were an electricity manipulating-esper! Misaka exclaims proudly as she realizes that her intuition was spot on."

"Child, do you wish to make me die a painful death?"

Rumiho pinched the bridge of her nose. She hadn't been referring to Last Order with that last comment. After seeing that rude albino worry so much over his adorable sister, she found it difficult to leave things alone as they were. She had considered giving the girl to Accelerator, but betraying the girl's trust would crush Rumiho's spirit mercilessly. Instead, Rumiho found herself resolved to assist Last Order in her search for the girl before she knew it.

"So you just need to find a girl who looks like you and the Tokiwadai's 'Ace', right?"

* * *

"You've been acting recklessly again, Dimensional Slider."

"Perhaps. But it's for a good cause. The destruction of egos comes at the cost of my own ego, you know. But all is well. We shall simply make do with the pieces given to us and proceed to destroy the enemy in this war of attrition."

"You realize that we're from Academy City's darkness, right?"

Four baseballs were floating through the air, revolving slowly. A young teenage girl was leaning against a wire fence on the top of a tall building overlooking one of Academy City's 'ghetto' districts, where Skill Out tended to reside. The teenager had long auburn hair with two orange ribbons tied into it, though they didn't seem to be holding anything in place. The girl's clothes were stylish—a light lilac colored long sleeved top over a purple sweater, jeans, and new sneakers. Her clothes had their own special sort of style that looked like she cared about how she dressed, and yet was still different from others.

She was twirling one finger in the air in time with the revolving base balls.

Behind her, a young man with short blonde hair wearing sweater vest and tie stood on the opposite side of the fence, just a step away from falling off of the building and becoming a 'stain' on the ground. Even so, he showed no signs of fear. In fact, he had a special sort of individualist aura that made him seem both like anyone else out on the street, but his own person at the same time.

"Heh. Foolish, Ms. Asuna. Of course I realize that you're part of Academy City's darkness. You should be well aware that three level 5 espers were once leaders of three of the organizations who were once part of Academy City's darkness. I am neither of Academy City's good side nor their dark side. I am a ghost floating in the boundary—the grey area."

"Hmm…?"

The girl called replied absently as her eyes remained focused on the clouds passing overhead.

"That may hold true for you, but I'm not so certain that the girl you've gotten involved is as strong in will."

"She's a member of Judgement, my dear. There is no need to doubt my fantastic intuition—"

"I suppose I should test her." The girl continued, talking over Alexander's useless portion of his side of the conversation. "Kyouko, shall we write up a nice little skit for her?"

* * *

...

Greetings, kind people who have willingly read to the third chapter. First and foremost, my thanks to you for reading thus far. If there is anything you wish to point out, go right ahead. I'm open to honest ridicule and contradiction. I'd sooner fix something I did wrong than go on with a self-satisfied smile while remaining ignorant, after all ^^.

And I should mention; if you see something you feel is a reference to something else, 9/10 you're probably correct. I tend to make subtle references that often go unnoticed, so I feel accomplished whenever someone points one out that they notice.

Moving on to my story specifically. As you can obviously guess at, the existence of the clones is going to have a major affect on the storyline. Even so, don't hope for too much Mikoto; Last Order and Worst are going to be the more prominent ones you see. I feel that having too many electromasters at once will 'numb' the impact, you know?

Regarding Alexander, he's a pretty conflicting guy. Rather than charging full force at his enemy, he's going to remain tru eto his word and act as a ghost that takes action while refusing to be seen in the spotlight. As prideful as he is, he seems to have little problem giving the glory to others.

With many characters all over Academy City involved, and my wish to give them all their special moments, look forward to seeing quite a bit of interesting powers and strategies. Until the next chapter, then. _Á toute á l'heure._


	4. IV) The Burden of Duty

Tomoe Ibiki was tired by midday. She'd had to pick up her Judgment patrol route where she'd left off and did twice as much work in order to make up for her lost time. She'd had to point the way for countless lost students visiting the district, file reports for eleven lost objects, three thefts, and arrest one group of Skill Out level 0's trying to shoplift an ATM.

Tomoe wasn't in her most tolerant mood due to several reasons, but the ordeal with the Skill Outs put Tomoe in a bad humor especially. She had nothing against level 0's—she often thought they received too little credit for being able to live their lives in Academy City despite being branded as failures as ESP users. But seeing how the Skill Outs acted, her respect quickly drained. She was unable to accept their kind of stupid lawless actions just for the sake of getting attention. It really made the normal level 0's look just as a bad in the eyes of those with esper powers and the adults of Academy City. It wasn't as if they would accomplish any sort of coup d'états simply by being rebellious. They weren't even at the level of terrorists, after all.

"I'm back~"

"Ah. Welcome back, Ibiki-san."

Tomoe stifled a yawn as she strode into the 177th branch office of Judgment. The office was crowded with miscellaneous boxes as normal and a small kitchen was located on the opposite end of the room from the chairs lined up to act as a waiting room. Toward the back of the room, a desk with a computer was set up alongside a second screen and keyboard. Even so, there was only one swivel chair before the desk, occupied by a girl with a small frame, wearing a school uniform with a long skirt and an array headband of an assortment of flowers in her short dark hair.

The girl pushed her chair back slightly, away from the computer and desk before her, as she greeted Tomoe with a smile. Tomoe sat in a chair by a bookshelf, though she had no intention of reading anything, and played absently with her dark braids with one hand as she crossed her legs.

"Hey, Uiharu. Did you get all of the information I sent to you while I was out patrolling?"

"Yep. You're amazing to find so much all in one day. Or should I say unlucky?"

Uiharu Kazari smiled slightly at her light joke as she returned her attention to the computer. Even though the Judgment member's fingers were flying across the keyboard, she was still fully capable of having a conversation.

"I had to rush to finish my route in time." Tomoe sighed miserably as she moaned tiredly. "I had gotten involved with something complicated this morning so I barely managed to get it all over with before noon."

Just as she said this, Tomoe's watch began to beep, indicating that it was exactly twelve o' clock noon. Tomoe tired pressed the silence button on the side of her watch and continued to sit limply in her chair. Uiharu giggled as she glanced back at Tomoe briefly before continuing her work.

The complicated thing that morning.

That was putting it mildly. When beginning her patrol, Tomoe had run into a girl who looked like she was in high school sleeping on a bench in the middle of a park, wearing an aodai as if it were casual wear for her. Before she knew it, she and the girl had been on the verge of a fight before the girl collapsed out of nowhere.

With not a moment to spare, Antiskill conveniently showed up at the most convenient time to take the girl to a hospital. Tomoe had already been suspicious then, but then another man had showed up and acted even more suspiciously.

So she'd attacked him.

"Uiharu, did you get the report for what had happened this morning in the park?"

"About the wild esper, right? You had to incapacitate her because the esper was going crazy with her powers and Antiskill arrived on the scene to take her into custody."

A completely edited version of the report she'd sent in. It seemed that there was an influential power involved, just like he'd said.

By 'he', she meant the high school student who looked like he was in his second to last year of school and spoke with an over dramatic tone.

He'd effortlessly evaded her supersonic attacks completely unharmed.

He'd called himself Alexander Terrarium, a ghost.

After Tomoe had calmed down, Alexander had agreed to support Tomoe in investigating this case with the girl who'd really be knocked out for an unknown reason and dragged into custody for some reason. He'd given her a few conditions to which she'd agreed.

The first was that she could not talk to any unrelated people about it. The second was that she could not act as a member of Judgment while investigating. Then he'd explained to her all sorts of things.

Mostly about the military clones of the number 3 level 5 and the collective system they had, called the Misaka Network, a vital part of scientific development in Academy City's secretive side. Two-thousand and one military clones capable of speaking with one another over a wide scale electrical network utilizing their identical brain patterns, better described as a mass conscience. It was something anyone would know from reading fiction, but hearing it spoken of as a real thing had been enough to stun Tomoe. Still, she forced herself to accept it.

The fourth condition was that she had to keep this information to herself under any and all circumstances.

Was that girl, who Alexander had called 'Misaka Worst', really a clone who was less than a year old?

Tomoe suspected that Alexander had not given her all the information. Why had these clones been created in the first place? She doubted that 2001 clones roamed the world today merely because they wanted to make a large scale AIM dispersion field. There must have been a motive to create something as unethical as clones beforehand. But Tomoe suspected that, as grand as he spoke, Alexander had purposely edited the information for her sake, leaving out anything that would involve her in darkness so deep, she would not be able to handle it. And to be honest, she was slightly afraid to know what this darkness involved.

"Oh!"

Tomoe looked up as Uiharu Kazari blinked at the computer in front of her, reading a message that had popped up.

"It looks like there's a report of vandalism on the iron bridge that stretches across one of the Academy City's rivers, the one a bit away from the center of the city. It's weird that they would do it in broad daylight, though…"

Tomoe was on her feet immediately, taking an earpiece out of her pocket and attaching it to her ear.

"Where's Shirai?"

"She's on patrol with Misaka-san. I can get them on the phone…"

"No, leave it. I can handle this myself."

Tomoe needed to focus on her Judgment duties first. Alexander had sworn that he'd contact her later with his 'support', whatever that was, so she didn't have any reason to be worrying about it then. Maintaining peace and order was her priority now, so long as she was still acting as a member of Judgment.

* * *

Tsurara Jūbei laced her fingers together and stretched her arms high above her head, bending back slightly at the same time. She grunted with pleasure as she felt her muscles stretch comfortably and she leaned on the tips of her toes to help increase her surface area, bathing in the warm sunlight above.

Jūbei was a young girl wearing a multi-colored sweater that looked as if it had been woven out of a rainbow in the sky, a lime green skirt that reached down to hang over her knees, and jade colored flip flops. Jūbei had short dark hair that hung a few inches above her shoulders and bright blue eyes that reflected a fragile innocence. Jūbei was slightly shorter than the average girl and her body was well-rounded in a way that made her appear adorable, despite being in the beginning of high school.

Jūbei was standing in the middle of a park within Academy City. Several people were going about their lives around her and they didn't see this girl as anything more than another student in the city of technology.

None of them could have possibly guessed that she was a member of Academy City's dark side.

Sitting on the bench behind Jūbei, her partner was in the midst of working. In his hand was a small nondescript cellphone that he was rapidly pressing buttons on with his thumb. The text reflected with the cell phone's light off of his glasses as he remained completely focused.

Sawada Kensuke wore a business suit—white shirt, black coat, long black pants, and wingtips. He kept the coat open, probably so he wouldn't be too hot during the day, so he still managed to look casual, though not very much compared to Jūbei.

Jūbei bounced over to Kensuke and plopped herself down on the bench beside him. Several guys nearby shot jealous glares when Kensuke made no appreciative response as Jūbei laid her chin comfortably on Kensuke's shoulder as she peeked at his phone to see what he was writing. Kensuke paid them absolutely no mind. It wasn't as if they knew what their relationship was, anyways.

Jūbei glanced through the massive amount of text Kensuke was writing into the notepad program on his phone, getting a basic idea for what was written, before commenting.

"Not much useful information, huh?"

"There are countless people sitting on this bench each day. Even if I know the general time, filtering it all just for one person's thoughts is no easy task."

"Couldn't you find anything else, then? Left behind by the target herself, I mean."

"The scene has been carefully cleaned of any loose hairs or possessions of anyone from during that time." Kensuke sighed as he brushed hand across the bench beneath him absently as he continued to enter the information. "We can consider ourselves lucky that they haven't been able to replace the bench as of yet."

'Lucky' wasn't technically correct. News about the Railgun fighting and the sixth level 5 appearing had spread like wildfire. The rumor was that they were training a girl to become the eighth level 5 by using that place a training area. Of course, it was just a rumor that not many believed. But people couldn't help their curiosity, so they unconsciously found themselves wandering around the area every now and then just in that single morning up noon, the present time. The frequent visitors in the park made it difficult for the dark side to act there, preventing something as suspicious as moving the bench from happening.

The rumor hadn't been coincidental. A certain leader of a group also from the 'dark side' of Academy City had cleverly thought up this idea and spread the rumor anonymously, letting society do the rest.

"Found it." Kensuke said finally as he sighed. "It's not much, though. As I thought, she didn't know what was going on before it happened. She'd just been asleep before being woken up by that 'Tremor Noise' girl. She stopped touching the bench after that."

"So the sister probably hadn't been targeted at all until now." Jūbei concluded. "That shouldn't be helpful at all, but in reality, it narrows down hundreds of possibilities that involved her being chased or watched. Ken-kun, are you able to track her with your psychometry?"

"Sadly, no." Kensuke sighed as he shut his phone. "Her 'footprints' are too obscured by others. The trail goes cold before she even reaches the vehicle they used to transport her. We'll have to use less practical methods."

Jūbei hopped up from the bench suddenly. She placed her hands on her hips and jutted out her chest proudly as she grinned toward Kensuke, who raised an eyebrow at her in response.

"Don't sound so reluctant about it, Ken-kun." Jūbei chided. "Basically, all we need to do is find the hospital where the sister was taken to. If we go to the proper authorities, it should be easy."

"Assuming she was really taken to an actual hospital." Kensuke added in. Jūbei shrugged her shoulders in response.

"We were given this task because we are expected to succeed. Would we be able to go back to our superior with our heads hanging in shame if we failed? In any case, let's get looking, okay?"

Kensuke sighed as he picked himself off of the bench and put his phone away in his pocket. He followed after Jūbei, who pivoted on her heel and bounced ahead of him casually; ironic, considering how motivated she'd been speaking just a moment before.

"Well, I guess things won't get better unless we take the initiative. Are the authorities we are going to corrupt, I wonder…?"

* * *

Hello, my friendly readers. There isn't much to say for this chapter. It was mostly meant to set up the next events that will be occuring. Some action is on its way and the next chapter should be up sooner than this one.

Tomoe proved to be an excellent opprotunity to tie in characters with one another, similar to how the novels do (praise Kamachi!) Though Tomoe is colleagues with Shirai, she knows nothing about Shirai and Alexander's...'relationship'. Shirai would be _pretty_ upset to know that Alexander is affiliating Tomoe without even speaking with her.

Tsurara and Sawada form an interesting duo. You'll see why eventually. For now, just know that they are two invaluable parts of a certain organization.

Comments are appreciated ^^


	5. V) Giants Topple the Hardest yet Slowest

Tomoe Ibiki's 'Tremor Noise' gave her the power to manipulate vibrations. This allowed her to create various kinds of shockwaves, control sound, and even propel herself at the speed of sound. Theoretically, with her power, she could create earthquakes and tidal waves, hear something going on several hundreds of miles away, and move faster than any human being.

But several restrictions prevented her from utilizing these abilities to such a convenient extent.

Such as being human.

In the case of moving at the speed of sound, she could not turn once moving forward and it required her to create a hard shockwave behind her, which usually left a lot of damage behind. In order to stop, she had to create a cushion in front of her to catch herself.

So she couldn't get to the iron bridge while moving at the speed of sound as she would have liked to do, ideally.

Tomoe had to run all the way to her destination. As a member of Judgment, she was physically fit enough to make it while not completely tiring herself out. Even so, it would have been preferable for Shirai Kuroko to have been present to teleport her straight there in five seconds. But Tomoe didn't think the case of vandalism would be enough of a threat to need more than Tomoe present. She was already suspecting that the culprits were merely rebellious level 0's embarrassing themselves.

Once she reached the bridge, Tomoe took only moment to rest and breathe so that she could recover quickly.

"Uiharu, this is the bridge, right?"

"Yes." Uiharu's voice answered through the earpiece Tomoe had put on before leaving the 177th branch office of Judgment. "The culprits are on the other side of the bridge. Be careful; the reports say that they have somehow begun to disassemble the bridge, so it might be dangerous."

"Alright…"

Tomoe raised her hands and thrust them behind her. A massive shockwave erupted directly behind her with enough force to slam into the immobile air already present as if it were a wall. The result was Tomoe firing forward like a rocket, her feet just an inch above the bridge to allow her to fly briefly. Moving at the speed of sound, Tomoe reached halfway across the bridge in a single burst.

Suddenly, a shadow loomed over her and Tomoe reflexively sent another shockwave in front of her to cushion herself, skidding to a stop. Just a moment later, a massive beam of metal slammed into the bridge directly in front of her, where she would have been standing had she been any slower to make her stop.

Tomoe felt her heart jump. Had she not stopped when she did, she would have slammed directly into the beam and would have been flattened at the speed of sound or impaled with the same amount of force.

After being so close to fatal injury, Tomoe felt a cold sweat roll slowly down her back. She quickly turned her attention to the lone girl standing ahead on the bridge in front of her among several metal beams that were sticking straight up into the air like spires wishing to scrape the sky.

The girl had long brownish hair with ribbons tied into them and wore stylish casual clothes that made her seem just like any other girl. Her expression was calm and unconcerned as she straightened up from the metal beam she was leaning on and walked a few steps toward Tomoe.

"Nice reflexes." She praised loosely. "You gave me a bit of a shock when you came flying my way at the speed of sound."

"You're one of the juveniles who's been vandalizing the bridge, are you?" Tomoe asked suspiciously. The girl nodded.

"Not just _one_ of them, I _am _the person. You don't see anyone else around, do you?"

"I see." Tomoe stepped forward to shift her right side forward. She pulled on the Judgment armband with her left thumb to display the shield symbol emblazoned across it. "In that case, you're under arrest for vandalism and assaulting an officer."

"No."

"…Excuse me?"

"I said 'no.'" The girl pronounced her words slowly, as if she found Tomoe dense. "I refuse your charges for arrest. Going through the procedures will be a pain and, frankly, I'm not interested in wasting the time."

Her words shocked Tomoe Ibiki. She refused to be arrested just because she didn't want to deal with the hassle? Tomoe was unsure if she had ever heard more spoiled words before in her life.

"If you didn't want to deal with the procedures, then you shouldn't have done this vandalism to begin with." Tomoe said in an exasperated voice. She pointed to the various areas on the bridge where metal beams missing. Esper powers were truly convenient. Who knows how long it took to build this bridge? And this girl had managed to disassemble it with her power in a short time. "For starters—why even waste your time taking out those beams? You don't even gain anything from that! The balance between loss and gain seems very weird to me!"

"Does it?" The girl looked at the metal beams around her vaguely. "I guess you're just dim. There is a sophisticated sort of art that's a bit difficult to comprehend for someone like you."

"…Before you were annoying, but now you just plan to piss me off completely, don't you? You're worse than that girl with the electric bangs and aodai!"

As Tomoe yelled, her voice amplified into a shockwave that went flying forward to close the large distance between the two girls. The girl with the brown hair and stylish clothes hopped back as the metal beams around her fell with a creaking sound, slamming into one another as they formed triangular arches to surround her, essentially creating a sort of sheild.

The shockwave deflected off of the beams and the sound echoed wildly through the air like a scream. Tomoe winced as the sound pounded on her eardrums and she felt the entire bridge beneath her rumble with vibrations under her feet. A loud moaning noise filled the air as the entire bridge swinging marginally in its place, though it was too small a movement for them to recognize it by anything but the sound.

"Careful, Judgment girl." The girl with brown hair warned as the metal beams returned to their upright position, exposing her once more. "Academy City gains its electricity thanks to the numerous windmills and rivers it has around all of the districts. If you drop this bridge into the river, you'll cause trouble for quite a few people."

Tomoe ground her teeth in response. She really didn't like this girl's attitude. It was obvious that she had no intention of being arrested peacefully. Also, it looked like she had a power that allowed her to move the metal beams freely. In that case, Tomoe had little reason to hold back.

Tomoe snapped her fingers and the sound of the river below suddenly vanished, making the silence eerie. The girl with brown hair waved her arms and the metal beams rose in the air freely. An explosion of sound slammed into them and sent the metal beams flying in all directions, but prevented the girl from being hit. Tomoe prepared to fire another shockwave, but was interrupted by one of the metal beams as it flew toward her side, making a 180 degree turn as if it were a bat being swung. Tomoe had to automatically redirect her shockwave to her side in an attempt to deflect the beam, and an explosion of sound flew out with enough force to send Tomoe stumbling to the side.

The metal beam flew into the taller beams still attached to the side of the bridge from the force of the shockwave and the sound of metal clashing filled the air.

Tomoe grimaced as she pushed herself up off the ground and winced. Her ankle had been injured from her fall as she had landed with her weight on it. She got up nonetheless, gritting her teeth.

"You're quite the soldier, aren't you?" The girl with brown hair asked casually from a higher ground. She was standing on one of the metal beams as it floated gently in the air several meters above ground. The girl flipped her hair with a smug smile as Tomoe glared up at her. "You shouldn't be able to stand so steady with that ankle of yours. Since it looks like you can control vibrations, I'd guess that you're using your powers to massage your injured ankle. Stretching sensations overpower pain, after all. That's why elderly people with bad backs get massage chairs for their backs."

The girl went on speaking when she saw that Tomoe wasn't intending on replying, obviously unwilling to admit that she was right.

"Your powers are strong, but you're more used to applying them in ways other than fighting. That in itself is fine, but then don't you think you're trying too hard? You're at a disadvantage now with your shockwaves since I'm above you. If you try to move at the speed of sound like before, you'll have a hard time stopping in the air and landing safely. On the other hand…my Float Dial is perfect for this sort of situation, so long as I have the resources."

The girl raised her hands up slowly and all of the loose metal beams floated up from the bridge to float around her. The creaking sound from earlier filled the air once more and several metal beams flew out from the bridge, unbolting themselves so they could float around the girl as well like deadly arrows.

Tomoe felt her breathing become shallow as she watched this. The girl's casual smile remained on her face as she spun her fingers and the metal beams twirled carelessly.

"So then. Do you still intend to arrest me, Judgment girl?"

Tomoe's lip trembled as he gripped her hands tightly, her eyes narrowing slightly against the midday sun.

"Of course I do. It will take more than an apparent disadvantage in ability to keep me from doing my duty as a member of Judgment. I'll just have to find a way to make up from my disadvantage and drag you in for your hearing."

"Is that so?"

The girl with the ability called Float Dial's expression did not change.

"You plan to pull through with guts alone? In that case, let me point out two more disadvantages."

Tomoe's body tensed as the large metal beams floated through the air, but not toward her. Instead, they moved to surround her from all directions, standing eerily in the air as if they were waiting. Tomoe's attention snapped back to the girl as she continued speaking.

"First: you may not have noticed, but your shockwaves broke your communication device."

Tomoe blinked in shock as she felt at her ear before glancing at her feet, realizing that it was true. Her shockwaves had shattered the earpiece she'd brought with her, throwing the pieces to the ground. Her one connection to Uiharu was gone.

"Second: You're unarmed."

The girl stuck one hand in her pocket and pulled out a sleek black object and pointed it toward Tomoe. It took Tomoe a whole second to recognize what it was.

It was a tiny handheld revolver, fully loaded.

Old fashioned as the gun was, it didn't take a state-of-the-art sniper rifle to kill a single person. A working revolver would certainly do the trick.

Even so, it didn't faze a trained member of Judgment like Tomoe.

"I can easily deflect that bullet with my vibrations." Tomoe spoke plainly. "It's a waste of ammo."

"Perhaps." The girl shrugged indifferently. "But I'm sure the vibrations required to deflect a bullet are quite different from blocking large metal beams coming from all directions. Even an omnidirectional pulse of your power won't be able to do both at the same time."

"Then I'll just have to dodge one of the two." Tomoe replied immediately.

The girl's smile widened ever so slightly.

She aimed the revolver carefully.

Tomoe slid her feet apart slightly as a steady amount of vibrations continued to numb the pain in her ankle, making sure it wouldn't mess her up.

Then everything was a blur. Tomoe's entire body began to vibrate rapidly with vibrations as she side stepped. A metal beam crashed down on her, narrowly missing thanks to Tomoe's irregularly movements. Several more metal beams shot forward and Tomoe's body continued to vibrate, allowing her to sharply turn and evade at the last second, narrowly dodging the metal beams.

If two people were playing a game from first person's perspective, it was fair. But when you played from a third person's perspective, such as an aerial view as in a board game, you had a better advantage. You could see everything happening as they happened with nothing slipping past you. That was understood to be the girl with the long brown hair's biggest advantage. By using the vibrations the way she did, Tomoe managed to temporarily render that advantage useless. But as soon as the girl got used to it, she'd have the advantage again and Tomoe wouldn't be able to dodge any longer.

That was why Tomoe needed to attack immediately after she deflected the gunshot.

An omnidirectional pulse of vibrations would at least temporarily paralyze the metal beams influenced by the girl's Float Dial ability and send the girl into shock. In that time, Tomoe could use her shockwaves to fly up at the speed of sound and catch the girl in close range.

But the bullet would slip past this shockwave. In order for it to work, Tomoe needed to get past that loaded gun _first_, even if it was just the one bullet.

Tomoe hopped a little higher in the air than she planned as she evaded a metal beam that crashed into the bridge where her foot was. The girl's grip tightened as she prepared to fire. Tomoe's heartbeat quickened as she prepared to change the frequency and intensity of her vibrations.

The gunshot rang out.

A metal beam flew out inconveniently in that path of the bullet.

The metal beam flew over the side of the bridge and into the river below as Tomoe crashed to the floor, landing on her back side. A red liquid flowed from her body from the area where the bullet had pierced.

The metal beam beneath the girl with the long brown hair descended and allowed her to step off it as Tomoe sat up and touched the red liquid on her body and touched the tip of her tongue to it.

_Paint?_

"Don't you think that's enough playing around, Asuna?"

Tomoe looked around in surprise at the sound of the voice. She jumped as she saw a girl with a red blouse with the collar tied together with a lace, a short pleated skirt, and short wavy black hair that hung slightly in her eyes standing off the side of the bridge. The girl had shining blue eyes and a knowing smile that said she had likely been there the whole time.

What bothered Tomoe was that she was literally _off_ the side of the bridge, standing in the air. Unlike the girl with brown hair had been before, she wasn't standing on any floating object, nor did she seem to be floating on her own. She appeared to be _standing on midair_.

"I'm sorry." The girl with brown hair apologized with a shrug. "I had gotten so into it that I forgot we were just testing her. She gets passing marks, though barely."

"Wait, wait." Tomoe raised her hands in a 'stop everything' gesture. "I'm completely lost. First off, what's going on?"

"I am Suzuha Asuna, leader of CELL." The girl with brown hair said before pointing toward the girl with black hair as she stepped onto the bridge and over to the two girls. "That's sort of the vice-leader, Sakuya Kyouko. As for what's going on…well, simply put, we've decided to accept a certain 'ghost's' selfish decision and have you help us."

* * *

...

And so the first group from the dark side reveals itself. I think this battle scenario went rather well, considering it was between level 4's.

Tomoe, as you can tell, has issues with rule breakers in general, finding them to be embarressments. She doesn't seem to conserned about breaking the rules herself whens he needs to though, does she? As for Asuna; there is a reason why her telekinetic ability is called 'Float Dial'. Can you figure it out from this fight alone, I wonder?

Comments are appreciated. ^^


	6. VI) Oriental Drops of Light

Misaka Worst awoke while lying on a bed, yawning casually. She stretched her arms back over her head as she sat up before rubbing her eyes. After the completely normal actions of a human being who'd just had a good sleep, Misaka Worst glanced around the room she was in.

The room was completely white and had no window. There was nothing in the room except for the bed she was on and a door on one wall.

"Well, it looks as if this Misaka has run into some trouble." Misaka Worst murmured calmly without much fear or surprise on her face.

Though she appeared to be a well-endowed high school girl with pretty brown eyes and a natural figure, Misaka Worst was, indeed, less than a year old. She was a clone who'd been forced to age quickly with the use of drugs and had been taught all the necessary knowledge she needed. But emotions were a different matter to her. Unlike her two-thousand predecessors, Misaka Worst was capable of being able express facial expressions, but unlike her more immediate predecessor—Last Order—she was not prone to showing childish excitement, cute displays of pride and selfishness, or even affection.

Misaka Worst embodied all of the negative feelings of the Misaka Network. Pain, anger, jealously, hate, sadism…they were all things that naturally came to Misaka Worst.

So finding herself in the middle of this 'darkness' did not scare her even slightly.

Instead, she grinned with anticipation as she imagined what a certain Level 5 must have been going through at the moment.

In order to find out, Misaka Worst attempted to access the Misaka Network for information. Though she wasn't interested in conversing with the many 'sisters' of the Misaka Network that were constantly debating several childish things, such as what horoscope they should follow due to the ambiguity of their 'birth'. But it was useful nonetheless when she wanted to gain information.

So Misaka Worst frowned when she realized that she unable to access the Network.

Misaka Worst sat and considered her predicament for a moment. She had no real initiative to try and escape. She was sure that if she sat where she was, a certain level 5 would burst into a rage, destroy the entire facility, and find her. And even if he didn't, she didn't have much resolve to keep living. As far as she was concerned, she should have been burned under the snow in Siberia during World War III.

But even if she had no reason to try and break out, she found herself curious. Who had kidnapped her and why did they want her? Was it her creators? Was it someone after the level 5?

She couldn't simply sit there without even knowing what sort of facility she was in.

"Since Misaka's got nothing to lose, she may as well explore a little to see if there's anything interesting."

With that decision made, Misaka Worst slid off of the bed and hopped to her feet. She strode toward the door without even glancing at herself to see if her aodai was in order or if she had bedhead. She already knew her hair was wild and unkempt anyways, so it didn't matter to her.

Trying the door, as she thought, was useless. It was locked firmly, preventing her from opening it from the inside. Misaka Worst frowned for a moment before shutting her eyes to focus.

The tendrils of her level 4 esper power extended forward through the door, finding the electronic wires within it.

Misaka Worst was a clone of a level 5 that had control over all electrical phenomena. In a city of technology such as Academy City, such a power had infinite uses. It was doubtful that they used a padlock to try and keep her inside. Electronic locks were far less of a hassle.

A smirk spread across Misaka Worst's face as there was a short _click_ and the door pushed open. She slipped out of the room without making a sound thanks to only wearing socks over her feet.

Misaka Worst wasn't able to learn much from stepping out of the room. With a simply glance around the room, she saw that she had merely stepped into a larger room without any windows. The room itself was big enough to be a football stadium with the roof towering high overhead. Misaka Worst could see possible exits from this place aside from the door she had come out of, which she found strangely.

The room's walls and floor was all white, giving it a very clean sort of look, but there was something much more interesting to see. Tall pods were lined up in rows across the entire floor in the room. These pods were about three meters in length and a meter in width, coming up from the floor to be about as high as Misaka Worst's waist. Just by looking at one, Misaka Worst found herself unable to learn of what they were.

But she did find something strange just by being near them. She was catching faint electrical pulses in the air that reminded her of brain signals. The brain sent orders to the body through the nervous system in the form of electrical signals. It was a nice metaphor when comparing the brain to a computer. It was essentially the same concept after all. Humans were many and various parts interacting with one another (albeit organic), stimulated by commands in the form of electricity. Even the heart could 'started up' by applying electrical shocks.

_So these are human electrical signals, then?_

Misaka Worst frowned as this morbid thought came to mind. Why were these pods emitting the feel of a working brain? Though they were electrical signals, she could hardly make sense of them like a language. It wasn't like the Original found herself able to read minds simply because she could control electricity. That field of expertise belonged to her rival, the Queen.

_Misaka guesses she'll just have to ask, then._

Misaka Worst knelt down slightly and reached her fingers out toward the base of one of the pods. These pods were bolted down tightly through several means to prevent them from being moved or knocked over. One of these means was an actual bolt, a small thin object somewhat similar to a nail or screw, except larger. Using her powers of magnetism, Misaka Worst gently extracted one of these bolts and gripped it in her hand.

The lone missing bolt did nothing to compromise the balance or sturdiness of the pod itself even after being extracted. Misaka Worst's face lit up mischievously as she quietly and quickly wove through the rows of pods in the direction of a certain person.

Misaka Worst had noticed the presence of another person before, but had simply paid it no mind. Assessing the situation with the pods had been her priority and she had confidence that the person would be unable to threaten Misaka Worst in anyway.

But it wasn't like Misaka Worst hadn't noticed the strangeness of the person's presence. If it had been a man in a lab coat, it would be fine, but this wasn't the case. Standing among the pods with their back to Misaka Worst was a young girl who literally exuded elegance. She wore a smooth black dress that bared her shoulders and uppermost part of her average level cleavage and she had a thin, fragile frame. The girl had long dark hair with a platinum tint in the light and stood with the air of a noblewoman.

The situation would have been enough to confuse any person, but Misaka Worst had absolutely no problem with moving forward to threaten to composure this girl had hanging around her.

Misaka Worst's grin widened even further with blatant lust and longing as stood behind the unaware girl and held her hand up, prepared to flick the bolt she'd extracted from a pod directly at the girl.

"Keheh…An interesting situation here, isn't? Misaka is curious to know how it came to be."

The girl turned slowly at the sound of Misaka Worst's voice and raised one eyebrow as her eyes fell on Misaka Worst, lingering briefly on the bolt in her hand.

"…Oh dear. It seems the lab rat has managed to burrow its way out of its cage and into the maze."

Misaka Worst licked her lips impatiently as the girl responded with a completely natural voice. Her features were sharp and elegant, like her dress, which was in complete contrast to Misaka Worst.

"Misaka wants to know where she is and why she's here, if you'd be so kind. Of course, if you prefer to have a metal bolt stuck into your body at the speed of sound, she will not complain. In fact, depending on what sort of person you are, that may be the better option."

Misaka Worst predicted that the girl would either wimp out or stubbornly refuse. She was slightly taken aback when her question was avoided entirely.

The girl in the elegant dress's eyebrows rose further still at Misaka Worst's words.

"The speed of sound, huh? Significantly less than the Original, but still a higher output than one would expect of a clone. Can you really manage that, I wonder? Well, not that it matters either way. Even if you could manage to fire it three times the speed of sound, you cannot beat me with your watered down version of 'Railgun'."

"Oho?"

Misaka Worst's priorities changed in an instant.

She had no real reason to care about the questions she had asked to begin with.

"Gyahaha! So you're challenging Misaka's worth as a level 4 clone? Gehee...That's a good way to lose an arm!"

Misaka Worst's hand tensed as she prepared to fire her significantly less powerful 'Railgun' when compared to the number 3 level 5.

The girl in the elegant dress simply continued to smile at Misaka Worst with a superior note in her eyes, showing no signs of moving.

Misaka Worst's 'Railgun' was weaker, barely moving faster than the speed of sound, but that was still more than enough to kill a person, especially at point blank such as this.

Purple electricity flew from Misaka Worst's bangs as she flicked her thumb out and accelerated the metal bolt forward.

Electricity flew wildly as the bolt hit its mark.

"…"

Misaka Worst's eyes widened in confusion as she watched the bolt fall from the girl in the elegant dress's uninjured shoulder and clatter to the ground. The girl in the elegant dress flipped her hair with a light smirk as Misaka Worst stumbled back a few feet as she struggled to comprehend what had just happened.

"Wah…?!"

"As I said, it is not enough to beat me." The girl in the elegant dress spoke languidly and artfully as if she were enjoying Misaka Worst's shock. "There was a project, called the Dark May Project, where several children, many of them child errors such as myself, were brought up to replicate the personality of a certain level 5 in order to emulate his personal reality."

Misaka Worst clenched her hands and electricity flew from her bangs once more. It sparked around at the girl in the elegant dress and the electricity did indeed strike her, but it did not do any harm.

The girl smiled slightly.

"Of course, the project was ultimately a failure, but it did produce some good results. There are two specifically who became level 4 by focusing on one of the certain level 5's thought patterns. One focused on offense, the other focuses on defense. But…what about the neutral area where rather than defending or attacking, nothing is done?"

Misaka Worst knew her attacks were landing, but they did no damage nonetheless. It was clear that this girl was either nullifying her powers somehow, or…

"Complete and utter submission. It's a forced tie between us when neither can do the damage needed to defeat the other. By doing nothing, I force my opponent to be unable to do anything as well. That is why my level 3 power is called Auto-Impasse."

All dangerous elements and harmful matter were completely and utterly nullified around the girl.

Electrical shocks and a bolt moving at the speed of sound would not be able to harm anyone.

This also meant that the girl could not harm Misaka Worst so long as the ability was active. That was why it was an 'automatic impasse'.

"…To think that guy would have such a boring side to him." Misaka Worst murmured belligerently as the girl in the elegant dress drew a small remote trigger from inside her dress and held it in one hand. "Misaka can't get herself to be turned on for some reason."

The girl touched one finger to her lips to stifle a delicate giggle.

"Boring? I disagree. The concept is simply wonderful. A world where no matter how strong or weak either side is, they are both forced to submit no matter how hard they struggle. It's the idea behind world peace, don't you think?"

Misaka Worst could only make an ugly face in response to those words. She would not have been born were the world peaceful. She had no interest in such a dream.

The girl pressed the red button on the trigger and Misaka Worst went out like a light, collapsing to the ground.

* * *

...

Greetings! Returning briefly to Worst's situation, we learn a bit about her predicament and gain some hints as to what Kihara Kagun is planning, though it's still unclear. I'd be more than happy to hear any opinions on 'the girl's' Auto-Impasse ability. It was the result of me analyzing Accelerator's nature a bit in order to come up with something interesting.

Though this is a short chapter, next time we return to Rumiho and Last Order. A meeting by chance will 'spark' events in a whole new direction. Until next time!


	7. VII) For and Against

Rumiho didn't often go to ice cream parlors for just any reason as she didn't like to spoil herself with sweets. As a girl, she took pride in her health and appearance on a fundamentally daily level. But she couldn't help breaking this rule in order to spoil a little girl with brown hair and an ahoge sticking out from her head. She'd sought out the nearest parlor after searching through the first half of the day along with this child.

Last Order, the small girl who'd been mentioned, was searching for a girl described as the high school version of herself, which was strange enough as it was. Rumiho had decided not to question it too much or else it might spoil the wonderful time she was having.

"Hmm…"

Last Order stood with her arms folded and chest puffed out proudly as she glared down suspiciously at the figure before her. A little cat with white fur was sitting on the ground while grooming its paws casually, unfazed by the look Last Order was giving it.

"After a long moment of consideration," Last Order spoke aloud without a change of expression. "Misaka has decided that the detainee has no information of any particular use, Misaka says as Misaka sighs dejectedly."

Rumiho merely smiled in Last Order's direction. Rumiho was sitting at a table outside of the ice cream parlor, relaxing beneath a wide umbrella meant to shade those who sit underneath it. There was an electric pad roughly twice to size of Rumiho's hand, listing all of the ice cream flavors the parlor offered so she could choose and order them from where she was. It was one of the many conveniences that Academy City's technology offered.

Rumiho set down the pad to grin in Last Order's direction, relishing the childish youth the girl had. In truth, Rumiho was jealous. She had always dreamed of being able to act selfishly and do whatever she liked like the child did. But she'd always been pressured to be the perfect student by her family and entering a school of prestige such as Tokiwadai certainly hadn't helped. Even when Rumiho skipped school, she usually found little to do since everyone else was already in school. As such, she could only relax in the school garden and read or play card games until school was out. Still, she found it better than suffering through class each and every day.

"Perhaps you should attempt to interrogate someone more likely to have seen your quarry." Rumiho offered as the cat hopped away from Last Order and vanished into the nearest alleyway. "Although it is a dark day when an alley cat cannot give you the whereabouts of someone lost in these streets."

"Misaka is becoming increasingly concerned, Misaka says as Misaka acknowledges the wisdom in her own words. Maybe the lost child Misaka is looking for is purposely avoiding detection."

"Maybe. But if we keep searching, we'll eventually learn for sure."

"Eventually is too long! Misaka says as Misaka flails her arms around in frustration! How dare she try to make a fool of Misaka! When Misaka finds her, she will lecture her for five days straight until she passes out from sleep deprivation!"

"Come now, cheer up. Here; why not choose what you want on your ice cream?"

"!"

Last Order completely forgot her rage after that and hurried over to the table. She stood beside the table Rumiho was sitting on and craned her neck in order to see the screen. When she still had trouble seeing, Rumiho picked up Last Order and set the little girl on her lap, wrapped her arms around her small waist to prevent her from falling.

"Misaka will happily choose all of the flavors in order to evaluate which one of these is best suited for which part of the day, Misaka says as Misaka excitedly clicks the 'select all' button!"

"Choose whichever you like child; it's my treat."

Rumiho showed no signs of dismay to Last Order's unreasonable decision. Rather, she was thrilled at the girl's enthusiasm. Rumiho seriously doubted the efficiency of their method of searching, but at the same time she was doubting the very existence the person they were searching for. Rumiho considered the possibility of this 'lost child' being an imaginary friend of some sort, which was common for children of Last Orders age. But Rumiho couldn't convince herself of this as she remembered the albino boy with a walking cane who'd spoken to her before. Was he also searching for the same person Last Order was looking for, but didn't want to say it aloud? But in that case, why had this girl disappeared and where to?

Rumiho had asked herself these questions several times before but had been unable to come up with any answers. So she'd stopped bothering to ask herself such pointless things and decided to wait and see if anything revealed itself with time.

So for the time being, their searching turned out to be more of a playful day out.

"…I see you're enjoying your time skipping tutoring once more, senpai. Though I'm not really surprised to see you slacking off here."

Rumiho and Last Order both looked up to see who had spoken. Two girls wearing Tokiwadai uniforms just like Rumiho were standing beside the table, one looking skeptical while the other was frozen in a shocked position.

Last Order's face brightened up but before she could say anything, Rumiho rested her chin her on head and smirked slyly toward the shorter girl who had spoken.

"Why hello there, Shirai-san. Doing your patrols as usual, I see. How dutiful."

"Some of us prefer not to laze around when there is work to be done, you know. Even if your grades are stellar, you should try to work on that unmotivated nature of yours."

"Some of us require different sorts of motivation. For instance, you have always had yours whereas as I have recently found mine."

Rumiho tightened her embrace around Last Order briefly while her eyes flickered toward Kurokoi's companion briefly. Kuroko's eyes widened for a moment before she turned away and coughed audibly in her hand.

"How bold, Suigetsu. Just what are you implying?"

"I'm joking of course. We were just about to order some ice cream. Interested?"

"I'm afraid not. We still have the rest of our route to finish patrolling. Right, onee-sama?"

Shirai Kuroko looked up when she did not receive a reply and frowned as her companion remained frozen in her state of shock. Rumiho raised an eyebrow as Kuroko turned to face Misaka Mikoto. Kuroko cocked her head curiously.

"…Onee-sama?"

"W-w-w-what is—"

"Hey there! Misaka says as Misaka extends her belated greetings!"

"W-w-wah!"

Mikoto jumped in shock as Last Order raised a hand as she spoke in her normal rapid illeism. The other two were completely unaware of the exact meaning behind the level 5's reaction, so they just looked on curiously as Mikoto continued to stutter.

"Y-You're a sister, right? Why on earth are you s-so small?!"

"How rude! Misaka is the control tower of the Misaka Network, Misaka says as Misaka is stunned by your poor lack of proper judgment. She's a level 3!"

Mikoto pinched the bridge of her nose in exasperation as she struggled to make sense of what was going on. She'd already known about the twenty-thousand sisters that already existed, but she'd been entirely unaware of the 'control tower' that hadn't been directly involved with the Level 6 Shift program that she'd risked her very life to put a stop to.

In the end, Shirai and Mikoto ended up sitting with the two to eat ice cream of their choice, for which Rumiho amiably agreed to pay for. As Last Order excitedly devoured the large vat of ice cream she ordered, Rumiho casually told Mikoto and Kuroko the story of how she ran into Last Order.

Kuroko regarded Rumiho with an exasperated glare.

"So you really were skipping on tutoring after all. What a sad waste of talent."

Mikoto, however, wasn't as skeptical of Rumiho's decision.

In fact, she wasn't paying much attention at all. She was staring at her ice cream cone in her hand, as if watching it melt slowly. Rumiho initially assumed that Mikoto had been bothered by seeing Last Order, who looked so much like her, but realized that it was likely a different reason. Kuroko observed the expression on Mikoto's face briefly before sighing haughtily.

"You're doing it again, Onee-sama."

"Ah?"

Mikoto jumped slightly, raising a hand up to hide her instinctual surprised expression. She began to frantically try to explain why she had zoned out, but Kuroko spoke over her with a reprimanding tone.

"Really, Onee-sama. I don't understand why you are still so hung up over it. You've been out of it for days and have been talking in your sleep. I understand if you feel bad about what happened, but please try to be considerate to those who look up to the Railgun, the Ace of Tokiwadai."

"I-I know that, Kuroko! Of course I know that I have a reputation to uphold as a level 5! But…I mean, I had the _chance_. I was right _there_ and yet failed anyways. What good am I if I can't even save a single person…?"

"Waaaaahhhhh!"

Kuroko roared furiously as she mercilessly tore at her own head with both of her hands, sending her pigtails flying. Kuroko proceeded to slamming her forehead against the table over and over again as she spoke a syllable with every slam.

"That accursed half-monkey! I despise seeing my lovely Onee-sama in so much pain, and yet I am unable to do anything about it! How dare that commoner leave her in such a state! I must blame myself for being so incompetent as to not even return a smile to the center of my life!"

Rumiho observed this exchange between the two roommates curiously, leaning forward with her elbows rested on the table as she cocked her head slightly.

"Who is this person and what did he do?"

Mikoto opened her mouth as if to answer this question but hesitated, apparently not able to find the words. She closed her mouth once more and gripped her skirt tightly, exposing the shorts underneath. Kuroko ceased slamming her head on the table as she rubbed her temples as if to lessen her stress through a less violent method.

"Be sure not to tell anyone, but a certain half-monkey disappeared in Russia not too long ago. Onee-sama had recklessly gone alone by plane during World War III when Academy City was sending its bombers in order to find him. She found him…but was not able to bring him back. It seems it's been bothering her ever since."

"I see."

Rumiho looked toward Mikoto with a sympathetic expression on her face but instantly thought better of it when she saw a spark fly through the girl's bangs. The level 5 wasn't interested in hearing words of consolation or sympathy. She wanted to see that boy again.

"Did you ever find his body?" Rumiho ventured instead. She noticed that Kuroko never said for sure that he was dead.

Mikoto shook her head back and forth.

"He fell into the freezing cold sea, probably. Even if I had the equipment to salvage him, he would have frozen to death long before I managed to find him…"

The three fell silent for a long moment as Mikoto continued to glare at the table. But then Mikoto took a deep breath as if to calm her nerves before smiling dryly at Rumiho.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to turn the conversation toward me. More importantly, we should talk about the girl."

"Indeed." Kuroko agreed immediately. "You said she's looking for someone, yes? I can use my connections in Judgment to find her immediately—"

Kuroko cut off as she looked toward the spot where Last Order had been eating her ice cream not too long before. Both Mikoto and Rumiho turned to see that the spot was now vacant, leaving behind only an empty glass that had once been filled with every flavor the ice cream parlor had to offer. The girls' eyes widened as they glanced around quickly, searching for the girl.

"Where did she—?"

Mikoto blinked as she felt a strange sensation through the electrical field that surrounded her body, reacting similarly to when she had first passed by Last Order earlier—which led to them approaching Rumiho and the child out of curiosity. Mikoto looked around and saw two figures by an alleyway, disappearing from sight. Both Rumiho and Kuroko looked in the same direction as Mikoto shot to their feet and managed to catch a momentary glance of the two figures disappearing into the alleyway.

Rumiho's eyes widened as she felt a strange sensation grip her chest. She didn't hesitate for a second as she extended out her powers and manipulated electromagnetic forces to pick her body up off of the ground a few meters into the air, above the heads of the surrounding crowd. She then shot forward as if flying, heading straight toward the area where Last Order's kidnapper had gone with her, flying straight into the alley.

Rumiho had never felt such a deep sense of rage before in her life, and she could not entirely explain where it had come from. Though she'd only known Last Order for a short time, she had the strongest urge to protect the child at any cost. It was unsure of just how far Rumiho would have gone against the person who took her had she made direct contact within him during her moment of rage.

Rumiho was quickly brought to her senses as she felt a strange sensation in her shoulder and she stumbled in midflight as she entered the alleyway. Her eyes widened as she saw that there was a long, thin rod sticking from her shoulder, causing red blood to ooze out slowly. Rumiho ground her teeth as she looked down at the spider like figures on the ground—spherical pods with four spindly legs sticking out from four corners. There was roughly two dozen of them with a cylinder shaped object sticking out of the top of their 'bodies', similar to tiny gun barrels or cannons, in a way.

Rumiho descended immediately as they fired more of the thin rods from their cylinder guns and tossed the ice cream she was holding in her hand toward one of them, clogging up the cylinder so it couldn't fire. But even after being disabled like that, the many other spider-like robots continued to fire on her, forcing Rumiho to continue using her powers to 'fly' out of the way. Unable to dodge all of them, several scratches and direct hits let blood flow from her arms, causing her to wince in pain. But even so, she couldn't make herself retreat.

"Release me! Misaka says as Misaka screams for help!"

At the end of the alley was the screaming Last Order being held underneath the arm of a man in a black suit, sporting a long blonde ponytail under a fedora. The man was still running ahead, but not fast enough that Rumiho couldn't catch up by flying. But even if she did chase after him, the androids below her would shoot her in the back and might have hit a vital point. It frustrated Rumiho to no end that the man could have gotten away like that, escaping into the labyrinth of alleyways.

"Move!"

Rumiho was surprised by this sudden loud voice that filled the alleyway. She looked down to see Misaka Mikoto and Shirai Kuroko suddenly appear amid all of the spider-like androids through teleportation and Mikoto slammed one foot on the ground. Electricity sparked around her like a wave and smashed into several of the androids, splitting them apart. The attack also caused Rumiho to lose altitude slightly in the process, but she recovered quickly enough.

"Go after the little girl!" Kuroko ordered Rumiho as she touched her hands to the straps around her thin thighs. Thin silver rods similar to the ones that had been shot at Rumiho appeared in the air and Kuroko caught them between her knuckles as she pressed her back to Mikoto, who held one hand up to the electricity cracking at her bangs. "Leave these things to Onee-sama and me!"

Rumiho didn't even bother responding. She immediately shot down the alleyway, making the same turn the man she was chasing had. The androids attempted to shoot her down, but metal rods suddenly appeared in their way, deflecting their path and forcing them to miss. Rumiho heard a crack of what sounded like lightning as she continued shooting down the alleyway but paid it no mind. Her mind was entirely focused on the man before her, holding Last Order under his arm as he stopped running in order to turn and face Rumiho.

Rumiho landed gently on the ground as she gripped her hands tightly, her glare burning a hole into the man's head. The man showed little expression as he set Last Order down on the ground beside him. Last Order attempted to run over to Rumiho, but an android spider suddenly shot from behind one of the trash cans in the alley and grabbed onto her small body with its arms, locking her in place and knocking her to the ground with its weight.

Rumiho started forward, but the man in the suit raised one hand to indicate that she should stop, and then pointed upwards. Rumiho reluctantly looked and clicked her tongue.

Crawling along the walls of the alleyway were at least a half a dozen android spiders with their cylinder shaped weapons pointed down at Rumiho. Rumiho quickly guessed at their number before sizing up the man in the suit.

He didn't have too many distinguishing features aside from his fedora and the blonde hair tied in a ponytail. His facial features were average, as well as his body build. However, he did wear an eye patch on his left eye, which Rumiho noted. That left him a major blind spot.

"Congratulations." The man spoke simply as he clapped his hands together in a mocking fashion. "I had initially predicted that you would be defeated by that group I'd left back there. It's a good thing I prepared this trap just in case something happened—I didn't expect you to have help."

"…You've been watching us?" Rumiho asked after considering what the man's words meant. He nodded.

"Last Order is a valuable target that I felt I should acquire, but getting it without making a big show required patience. I had to wait until you let your guard down, or at least stopped cuddling Last Order every few seconds. In a way, the arrival of those two was both helpful and annoying."

"I see. Well, I hope you have prepared yourself."

"Hm? And why is that?"

"Because," Rumiho smirked as she shot forward, gliding a few inches through the air. At her speed, the androids would have problems shooting her without hitting the man as well. "I'm going to make you pay dearly for your impertinence!"

* * *

...

An ominous shadow casts over the small little control tower as she, once again, gets caught up in the middle of the selfish plans of others. Railgun becomes involved as well, which can hardly mean well for the antagonists.

Comments and so on are appreciated ^^


	8. VIII) If First is for Worst, Sixth Comes

Accelerator sighed irritably as he pushed open the door to the high class apartment and stepped in. The apartment technically belonged to Yomikawa Aiho, but it was shared between her, Yoshikawa Kikyou, Accelerator, Last Order, and Misaka Worst. In a way, it was similar to a family with no father, and Accelerator would be damned before he let anyone give him that position.

The apartment was nice but the only reason Aiho could afford it was because the building was also used for architectural research, which resulted in the rent being paid in part by the institute.

"Did you find her?" Yoshikawa Kikyou asked as she looked up from the couch she was sitting on. The television was on, but she wasn't particularly listening to it, as the sound was muted and subtitles rolled across the bottom of the screen.

Even after how much time had passed, reports about what had happened and was still happening in Russia or as a result of World War III were airing. Accelerator shook his head as he clicked his tongue angrily.

"I don't know where that damned brat vanished off to this time. I would try searching for her with my ability to make it faster, but I doubt my fifteen minutes would be enough."

"Do you think she's with Worst? That girl's been gone even longer."

"No clue, though I could care less what happens to that one."

Yoshikawa sighed as she observed Accelerator's expression.

"I wouldn't worry too much about it. She'll definitely turn up eventually. I'll make Aiho go to Antiskill and search for them once she's done making dinner."

"Dinner? I didn't even eat freaking lunch yet, but whatever she's making doesn't make me a bit hungry."

Yoshikawa looked up as she realized what Accelerator was referring to. The smell of burnt fish was wafting from the kitchen, making it pretty hard to ignore. Yomikawa's voice called Yoshikawa and Yoshikawa sighed as she hopped up from the couch, hurrying into the kitchen to save whatever was still edible.

Accelerator watched Yoshikawa vanish into the kitchen for a moment before scratching at his white hair with another irritable sigh. He shifted his body and used his walking cane to turn toward the window by the television.

The television screen was currently displaying something about a corperation president being forced to give credit to people whose ideas he'd stolen, but Accelerator was far from interested in it. Yomikawa sometimes left her windows open after cleaning the room whenever she was upset, usually to let the fresh air to drown out the smell of chemicals. This was the case with the window Accelerator looked toward, the drapes fluttering around from the breeze.

Accelerator had a glare deep set onto his face as he spoke aloud.

"So. What the hell are you doing here?"

"You're as pleasant as always, number one."

Alexander Terrarium accentuated the 'number one' so it sounded like 'numba won' for an unknown reason. The sixth level 5 was tightening his already straight tie, mostly out of habit, as he smiled across at Accelerator, his emerald eyes flaring mischievously. His dirty blonde hair fluttered in the breeze slightly, but it wasn't nearly disheveled enough for him to have just climbed in through the window, which was really the only feasible way a normal person could have gotten in when he hadn't been standing there a moment before.

"You have my condolences for your missing family members. It must be difficult for you, not knowing where they are. Even so, you must have faith that it will work out in the end—"

"Shut the hell up. I know that whenever you try to give your sympathies, you never mean them. Just get to the point. Why the hell are you here?"

Accelerator spat angrily as he cut off Alexander rudely, and Alexander simply raised an eyebrow in amusement. Even so, he noticeably did not object to Accelerator's accusation.

"Very well, number one. I'll tell you. I'll answer the question that is so heavy within your heart that you cannot stand being another second without it being answered. Why am I here? Simple. I wish to speak with you."

"Get the hell out."

"Allow me to finish!"

Accelerator had raised a hand to the electrode attached to his choker, preparing to turn it on in order to send Alexander flying out of the window. Alexander cleared his throat as Accelerator lowered his hand once more.

"Number one, what is it that we level 5's lack? Is it something we all lack as one? Or is it something we all individually lack but share in the fact that we each lack something? For example; the seventh lacks knowledge of his own ability. The fifth lacks the ability to trust. The fourth lacks empathy and compassion. The third lacks patience. The second lacks…well, a body, thanks to you. You once lacked the most basic of needs—something to protect. But you, unlike the rest of us, managed to attain what it is you lack. You have people you care for and can protect, when before you were alone and cruelly looked upon as a devil to be feared. I would say that it is fairer to call you the strongest now, rather than then, despite you're interesting situation with your access to your powers."

"…What the hell are you getting at?"

"Well," Alexander paused for a moment, allowing dramatic effect to build up. Accelerator tapped his finger on his choker impatiently and Alexander grinned slightly in response. "You attempted to do a great kindness. The man who once called himself a villain struggled in order to destroy the darkness of Academy City completely. He, who was once part of GROUP, threatened to destroy the very darkness that he thrived in. Ironic as it is, you bit the very same hand that had nurtured you. It's a very strange turnabout. Tell me; is Imagine Breaker the one who should be accredited with the result that stands before me?"

"That hero is one capable of shattering the dreams of others. It might have been nice if you met him—he's capable of shattering egos just as easily. This I know for a fact. A bastard like you could use a slug from that right hand of his."

Alexander raised a fist and coughed into it as he hid an ironic smile.

"Is that so?"

Alexander sighed as he folded his hands behind his back.

"It's a pity that I never met him, then. At any rate, my main point is that I'm offering to help you return your family to what it once was. I do not promise immediate results, but I shall rescue your beloved 'sisters'."

"…"

Accelerator narrowed his eyes at Alexander, who merely grinned back at him without a trace of fear.

"…Just what are you after?"

"All that I do is for the sake of my ego. Having the strongest esper in Academy City in my debt…wouldn't that be a wonderful reason to brag?"

"Don't screw with me."

"I am absolutely serious, number one. I am making you an offer than I know you cannot refuse. Aren't my motives so predictable that you could choke?"

"It's because you're so predictable that it bothers me. You were talking about how we level 5's all lack something, and you noticeably skipped yourself. What you lack is individuality, isn't it? It hurts your pride that you sometimes have problems distinguishing yourself among even six other level 5 espers, so you attempt to take pride in your lack of individuality, but still fail to succeed in that. In other words, you have problems trying to figure out where the hell you stand in the world. Is it some shitty sad story like that?"

"Perhaps. Or perhaps not." Alexander replied vaguely. "Do you accept my offer, number one?"

Accelerator clicked his tongue angrily.

"Do whatever the hell you want."

"My thanks."

Alexander bowed deeply and vanished from sight instantaneously. Accelerator waited a long moment, making sure that he was gone, before turned and stepping out the door of the apartment.

"Let you find those brats so I can be indebted to you? I told you not to screw me with me, damned self-centered bastard."

* * *

...

Well met, everyone! It has been a while, hasn't it? To be frank, my attention had been diverted to a different story temporarily(?). I may end up sharing that on this site, depending on how things go. But that is for another time. The story continues with the meeting of two exceptional students in the world of technology! A little of Alexander's ambiguous nature is revealed! Multiple events occur at once, all rushing toward a single point where all will meet! Next time, we return to CELL!

In any case, I should ask you all. Would you find the story more interesting if I included more canon characters or stick with OC's? And if you prefer the prior, would you prefer short cameos and conversations, or integral parts in the story? Opinions are much appreciated.


	9. IX) Diamonds Shimmering Among Coal

"I definitely feel like I should be arresting you two right now."

Ibiki Tomoe said these words bluntly as she sat in the back of a limousine driving through the middle of Academy City in the middle of traffic. It was two o' clock, so it was about time for those who only worked half the day to be out on the road. It wasn't too terrible, but it was enough to make the speed limit mean something.

She'd never been in a limousine before, but now that she was in one, she realized just how overrated they were. Sure there were drinks and a refrigerator, and the seats were unnaturally comfortable, but it was really no different from a living room on wheels. A person wouldn't have enough time in the limousine to truly appreciate it unless they were willing to remain inside of it even when parked, which really would have been pointless.

Even if she thought so, she still took a bottle of soda from the refrigerator and chugged it down. The sight of her holding the bottle in her hand decreased her level of threat, which had Suzuha Asuna looking at her ironically.

"I told you already; even if you do try to arrest us, it won't work out. We have the full power of the dark side with us, after all."

Tomoe merely snorted as she looked toward the girl sitting beside Asuna.

Sakuya Kyouko, the girl who had surprisingly walked onto the bridge that had served as a battlefield for Asuna and Tomoe from literally thin air, was now cuddling a golden bar that Kyouko was afraid to suspect was made of real gold, similar to the type of gold bars stolen from banks in cartoons. Kyouko paid absolutely no mind to Tomoe, apparently not ashamed of the loose expression she wore on her face, which was similar to that of a seduced child.

These two were the leader and vice-leader of the underground organization of CELL, which worked for Academy City. They did whatever their client asked them to do, so long as they were paid properly. Of course, they prioritized their own interests when necessary.

"So I'm guessing that you guys were hired by Alexander." Tomoe sighed as she took her attention off of the gold bar Kyouko was now rubbing against her cheek contentedly. "And he asked you to come and find me. But that still doesn't explain why you had to attack me. Or 'test', as you prefer to say."

"He insisted on allowing you to take part in this even though I was against it initially." Asuna replied with a shrug. "So I decided to see just what about you interested him so much. Frankly, I don't see how you captivated that annoying guy, but you met the criteria I set, so I can't really complain anymore."

Tomoe wondered just what her criteria had been, exactly, but put aside the question.

"In any case, where are you taking me?" Tomoe tipped the remaining contents of the soda down her throat, her voice dull with a slight amount of disinterest.

"I'll explain that in a second. First of all, do you want to join CELL?"

Tomoe choked on her soda in surprise, nearly doing a spit take.

"Wah-wah-wah-whaaaaaat?! What's with that, all of the sudden?! What reason could you possibly have to ask that sort of question?! The explanation you just finished giving before asking that completely conflicts with your question!"

"Really?" Asuna cocked her head slightly, her eyes flickering elsewhere in thought. "Even though I said all that, I didn't really give a reason for me to not ask that question, did I?"

"You had just given a bunch of reasons! Don't forget that you said an annoying guy found me interesting and you don't get why! Besides, I'm from judgment, remember? Why on earth would I join you?"

"That's really for you to decide. I'm just giving you the offer."

Tomoe attempted to lecture Asuna on why she couldn't take such a lax approach with her self-conflicting words and attitude, but the girl didn't seem to care much and Tomoe's words came out garbled anyways due to her exasperation making it difficult for her to speak. Finally, Tomoe sat back in her seat to calm down and Asuna took advantage of the chance to continue.

"So as for our plans for now on…"

"…Don't just continue the conversation on your own."

Asuna ignored Tomoe's glare as she went on.

"Not too long ago, we received a large sum of money for a special job. I won't go into details about it, but it was more than enough yen for you to get a limousine that puts this one to shame. Normally we have a tight budget when it comes to resources for our jobs, so with this sudden amount of money that we came across, it goes without saying that we were happy. But then a certain idiot wanted to invest it all in order to multiply the amount. And by investing, I mean gambling—"

"It would have made us rich, and you know it!"

Tomoe was unsurprised as Kyouko spoke up at that point in a self-righteous tone. For some unknown reason, Tomoe had gotten the impression that Kyouko was rather attached to money.

"My method for gambling is perfect—it would never fail so badly that it would lose _all_ my money! Those men clearly cheated me!"

Asuna merely sighed as she kept her gaze on Tomoe, who didn't show much concern. How did all of this involve her?

"As you can see, the money I mentioned is now gone. After Kyouko quit whining about it, she finally told me what happened, and I have to admit, it seems far too sketchy. She may have a gambling problem and doesn't know the meaning of restraint when it comes to money…"

"Asuna…"

"But she's not necessarily completely stupid. At the very least, all the money was taken far too quickly. Even if they knew how to exploit her weaknesses, it's unlikely that they would have managed this feat without foul play. So after looking into it, I discovered a certain group distantly related to the mafia that resides in Academy City's dark side. It seems that they are collecting large sums of money for shady reasons, putting them in our jurisdiction to act."

"And you plan to attack them and get your money back." Tomoe finished with a sigh. "And why on earth should I help you fix your subordinate's mistake? It sounds to me like she's in need of an intervention."

"They cheated me!" Kyouko objected immediately. "It's not my fault!"

"Indeed…if that was all there was to the story, then I wouldn't bother involving you…"

Asuna nodded in agreement, but there was obviously more.

"Don't you think it's weird that they would conveniently target Kyouko when she was weak-minded thanks to all of the money she had with her? The timing seemed too good to have been coincidental. So I wasn't very surprised to notice that these people happened to have indirect connections to a certain research group that has use for the Misaka Network. They were already watching us, who were hired by someone who intend to obstruct their actions, so they decided to take our money while they noticed the opportunity in an attempt to weaken our influence. I suspect that their goal is just to get money, so they may not know much about what happened to Misaka Worst, but it's worth checking out, don't you think?"

"What do you expect to happen? That the three of us make a party, go in there and perform a unison raid group skill on their hideout, recover the prize money, and capture a hostage to interrogate in order to unlock the next interesting cutscene?"

"I'm not stupid enough to even consider that as a remote possibility, though that would be nice if this world was a video game."

Tomoe was silent. She could understand Asuna's reasoning. It was at the very least a lead they could follow. Not even a whole day into it, and that level 5 was already keeping his promise.

"Alright, I'll help." Tomoe sighed. "But can I ask you one question?"

"You never asked permission to ask before. What is it?"

"You two…are you doing this because you really want to help the clone?"

Both Asuna and Kyouko blinked at Tomoe before giving two very different reactions. Asuna snorted as she touched a finger to her temple. Kyouko hopped to her feet in the limousine and slammed her hands on the table between them, her face filled with ridicule.

The two spoke at the very same time.

"Ridiculous. I just do as the client asks."

"As if! They stole my _money!"_

Tomoe wasn't sure if she'd ever be able to get along with these people.

* * *

...

Well met, my friends! As they say, the red string of fate connects us all. It may bend, stretch, and tangle, but it will never break! At least, that's how I think it goes...

At any rate, I give you a little explanation for what is soon to be as the strings begin to *ahem* 'tie together'. The story will soon progress into something interesting as the many personalities clash. I really couldn't help several references this time-some are extremely obvious.

Kyouko, my dear...to think that money is everything to you, and yet you gamble. Such a strange one, her.

We return to the Tokiwadai trio as they attempt to rescue the littlest Misaka sister from a horrible experience.


	10. X) One Knight or Three Princesses?

The alleyways of a certain district within Academy City were alive with motion. Spider-like machines were crawling across the walls quickly, moving three dimensionally in pursuit of another who was moving three dimensionally as well.

The androids aimed their small cylindrical weapons toward their target and fired their small darts at once. At the same time, electricity sparked along the walls and, with a loud '_crack',_ sparks exploded with enough force to send the androids flying to the ground or into walls. The collision was enough to disable the androids and prevent them from getting back up once more.

Suigetsu Rumiho ran along the wall in a horizontal position, sticking to it with her electromagnetic abilities, moving similarly to a spider as well. Rumiho's ability—called Static Shock—was a level 3 ability that allowed her to manipulate electrical fields to allow her to hover and move (giving her the appearance of 'flight'), walk on walls, and create sparks to shock anything touching the same surface as her. The latter ability was similar to someone in pajamas charging up with static by rubbing themselves on a carpet before touching another person, or touching a plastic slide on a playground that had been used several times before, only slightly more powerful.

Rumiho wasn't running _away_ from these androids firing at her, though they were definitely chasing after her. Rumiho herself was chasing after the man with a blonde ponytail who'd deceived her. Somehow, he'd managed to predict her path when she'd initially attacked him earlier and had evaded, causing her to stumble enough for the android spider that was right beside him pinning Last Order small body to the ground to shoot a dart into her side. He'd immediately grabbed Last Order while she was distracted from the pain and had run down the alleyway, leaving the androids to converge on Rumiho. She'd had to use her powers to their full extent with escape with no more injuries that she already had. Pain was shooting through the side of her torso and arm, but she ignored it as she focused on following the man with the blonde ponytail while fending off the enemies from behind.

"…I've had enough of this…!"

Rumiho said this with a frustrated tone as she pushed off of the wall she was running on and landed on the floor of the alley with a thud. A spark traveled along the ground and the small 'explosion' (if that's what it could be called) sent a trash can flying through the air with a shower of sparks that were not a direct result of her power.

The man in the suit with a blonde ponytail hopped to the side without turning, evading both the spark that nearly reached him beneath his feet and the trash can that was sent to land on him. He stumbled a bit, but he was still too far ahead for Rumiho to catch up.

That settled it.

The trash can aside, it was no easy task for a person to evade electricity traveling in a way that could not see. A normal human should not have been able to detect the spark coming so easily that they could evade it without a problem. This meant that he had used his powers to predict the path of the attack.

Clairvoyance.

He could somehow predict events before they happened. Based on his reaction time, Rumiho could guess that he could predict events coming by at least five seconds before they happened. Since he didn't react before then, it was probable that he could only predict five seconds ahead _at most_ as well, or else he'd be endangering himself needlessly.

Rumiho narrowed her eyes as the man titled his head slightly as if to look back at her. Just that small movement told Rumiho that his ability made use of his eye, probably his right one since that was the direction he tilted his head.

The right eye.

The same one he had an eye patch over, which would have any opponent attack his right side to exploit what should have been a weakness.

By cleverly covering up the eye that allowed him to see the future, he could trick his enemies into making it easier for him to predict their movements by five seconds.

Just as Rumiho came to this conclusion, the man in the suit turned a corner in the alleyway, heading back to the street. If Rumiho didn't act quickly, she might lose him.

Rumiho poured her weight into a single step as she ran and electrical sparks flew behind her, striking the pursuing android spiders, sending them into a frenzy. With the same step, Rumiho propelled herself forward through the air using her power, landing at the turn. With a single stomp, more sparks flew and this time she heard a satisfying thump as the man's body crumpled to the ground. The man in the suit had just reached the turn before she'd struck him with her power. Had she been a moment too late…

She shook off the thought as she stalked forward, a glare set on her face.

"Return the child, or else the next spark will blow off your feet."

Rumiho spoke in a threatening tone as the man remained on his knees and palms, keeping his body over something below him. Rumiho knew that Last Order was beneath him, so she needed to be careful in how she attacked him.

She didn't expect the next move. The man grinned as he swiveled his body around, holding one hand up as he held up a hand gun. Rumiho paused in mid-step as her eyes widened. There was no way she'd be able to avoid that attack from her position.

Right as the man fired, Rumiho felt a hand grip her shoulder tightly. The next thing she knew, she was several fee in the air in the same alleyway. The man looked up in shock at Rumiho and the girl who'd appeared to save Rumiho's life.

With one hand still holding Rumiho's shoulder tightly, Shirai Kuroko reached for her thighs with her free hand and the small darts that were slightly thicker than the ones that had been shot at Rumiho by the androids vanished from the strap, reappearing in the man's clothes, pinning him to the ground. One embedded itself in his handgun and he dropped it in surprise.

"Well then, I'd say that was far too close for comfort."

Kuroko spoke these words with a sigh as she and Rumiho reappeared on the ground of the alleyway beside the man.

"Thank you, Shirai-san." Rumiho breathed a sigh of relief. It really had been close—she'd almost been shot before she could ensure Last Order's safety. "I owe you one."

"Just make sure the child is alright. I'll contact Uiharu so she can send in Antiskill and see if she can find the child's guardian."

"Right."

Rumiho knelt beside the man to glance under him, but her eyes lingered on the man's face. Rather than struggling against the darts pinning him to the ground, he looked as if he was struggling to hide a smug expression on his face.

Were Rumiho able to hear his thoughts with her electrical powers, she would have heard the same thing over and over.

_Just as planned! Just as planned! Just as planned!_

Rumiho's breath caught as she looked beneath the man and saw no one there. No Last Order to be seen at all.

At the same time, Rumiho heard the sound of an engine starting just around the corner of where they were.

"What is the matter?" Kuroko asked curiously as she saw Rumiho's devastated expression. When she didn't get an answer, Kuroko glanced around the corner of the alleyway and into the street. What she saw was a van driving away from the curb it had been parked at. Though there was no proof, Kuroko felt a bad feeling clench her gut.

"You guys came close," The man in the suit chuckled with a smug grin on his face as he looked at the two girls with eyes that were wide with relief. "But in this world of grownups, you've got to be prepared for any situation. Did you really think I was in this alone? I predicted this situation…and prepared the perfect counter."

"You managed to hand the girl off before Suigetsu could catch you?!" Kuroko asked as the truth dawned on her. "Just…what on earth do you people want with her?"

"That's none of your concern, is it?"

Kuroko grimaced at that response. It was obvious that the man was just going to be difficult no matter what she asked. She considered chasing after the van with her teleportation ability, but she couldn't bring herself to leave Rumiho behind, as the girl still hadn't moved from her spot on the floor. Even with that aside, Kuroko had the feeling that this was something bigger that what they could handle on their own.

"Kuroko! Ah, you caught the guy! But where's that sister—I mean, girl?"

Misaka Mikoto rounded the corner with a bright smile on her face, thinking things had gone well as she spoke before appraising the situation with her eyes.

"Onee-sama…" Kuroko dithered as she tried to decide how to explain it. No doubt, the hot-headed level 5 would be inclined to chase after the van immediately, probably heading right into a dangerous situation. "Well, you see…"

Kuroko cut off as Rumiho suddenly stood up then, her arms held limply at her side. The two smiled vaguely in response to the death glare that Rumiho revealed to them as she turned slowly. Even the man with the blonde ponytail was surprised by the sight of it.

"I don't know what they're after…but I'm going to make them regret kidnapping that child right before my eyes…"

"S-She's lost it?! Hold on, Suigetsu-san! It isn't proper for a Tokiwadai student to look at a man like that, even if he is the cause for your pain! Stop throttling him as if he'll just spill every last secret that you need as if he were a piñata spilling candy! Hoooolddddd iiiiiitttttt!"

* * *

...

Well met, my friends. The even the smallest and most trivial events can be a world of hurt and worry to someone else. Comical put as it is, do not underestimate a person who is overly protective for a child when that child is harmed or put in danger. The inevitable moment when the strongest electromaster sends everything into the depths of hell slowly approaches, but will it turn out how you expect?

I'm curious to know; is it preferable that I keep right with a wide plethora of characters like this, or would you prefer that I narrow it down to only a few characters-even if only one. Speak up; you may never get the chance to expression your bottled up opinion again!

I should give my thanks to those who continue to read this; my ego appeciates your support. One who writes creatively does it for one of two reasons, if not both; self-satisfaction and to have the readers enjoy themselves. As a reader, it is your duty to give your opinion for those who follow the latter doctrine. Go and spread your opinion! Even if others do not like it, it is still your opinion and no one can change that, except for you! But don't be rude, now. Ciao!


	11. XI) Elementary to You, Maybe

"Geez, these things are really changing. This one actually exposes a portion of your skin!"

"U-Um, I think this one is made of an extremely light material in order to give the maximum amount of movement. I guess they didn't bother putting any material in the areas where they weren't necessary."

Yomikawa Aiho and Tessou Tsuzuri stood over the powered suit they were referring to as they eyed it critically. Tessou had a pamphlet in her hand, using it as reference material for the newly arrived powered suit.

Both were members of Anti-Skill's 73rd branch. Anti-Skill was a volunteer organization of adults and teachers who protected the peace of Academy City in place of actual police. One would normally find it difficult to find that very intimidating, but these same people partook in a raid on Avignon, France, reducing it to a sea of fire, regularly took down rogue ability-users, and even fought in 'World War III' against Russia and won. This was all possible thanks to the highly advanced technology the city had that put it on a level above the rest of the world-even Japan itself.

So, as you might imagine, what with having access to such technology, Anti-Skill was quite formidable. They often received experimental weapons to test and use, and it was rare that such toys weren't any help at all. It just went to show that at certain times, might is right.

"Hey, Tsuzuri." Aiho frowned slightly at the powered suit as she deliberated. "One of us has got to use this, right? It's pretty revealing."

"Yeah…I don't see who they expect to use it, though. Anti-Skill isn't a stealth corps. We wouldn't be able to put it to its full potential anyways. I sure hope the developers didn't think it would be alright just because we happen to be Japanese…W-wait, Yomikawa-san? Why are you putting it on?!"

Tessou went from muttered skeptically to spluttering in surprise as Yomikawa shed her extra layers of clothes, discarding the SWAT uniform so she was only wearing a white tank top and boxers. She then slipped into the powered suit with surprising expertise, and Tessou felt her face go red as she saw how inefficient this suit was at protecting any bystander's innocence.

Yomikawa merely regarded it with a disappointed sigh.

"…As I thought, it's not something a woman can shamelessly wear without something underneath."

"If you thought so, you shouldn't have taken off your clothes!"

"But it would have been too hot."

"Never mind that! Just, please, p-put on some of your clothes!"

Yomikawa seemed thoroughly confused by Tessou's flustered mood as the young teacher tried to hold Yomikawa's uniform up to her. Neither noticed that someone had knocked on the door several times before eventually opening it and walking in on their own, too impatient to wait for a response.

"Whoa! Hey, Ken-kun! That woman is so big! I bet you wish I was like that too, huh?"

"What are you talking about? Do you mean that woman over there—"

"Ah! Kids shouldn't see this!"

Tessou nearly tackled Sawada Kensuke and Tsurara Jūbei as Kensuke was only a moment away from looking in the same direction that Jūbei was pointing in. She shot Yomikawa a look that pleaded her to clothe herself properly, and this time she complied.

"So you two are looking for the truth behind the incident for your school paper?" Yomikawa murmured a few minutes later after she changed and Kensuke gave their explanation for showing up so unexpectedly. "I guess the rumors about the level 5 training really got around."

"That's right." Kensuke nodded firmly as he propped up his glasses. "I don't believe in the stories, of course. But it's our duty as journalists to find out the truth, whatever it may be, and tell it to our readers."

Yomikawa laughed genially as she folded her arms across her chest, apparently amused by the zeal in Kensuke's eyes. It looks like she bought the story, at least.

"As I said before, I had nothing to do with that operation, but I'm still pretty impressed by your dedication. I don't think it's anything big, though."

"Even so, it's worth looking into."

Just then, the door pushed open once more and Tessou walked in with a man wearing an Anti-Skill uniform. He had was a somewhat broad man with a pencil-thin mustache and peach fuzz on his chin.

"I brought him like you asked." Tessou reported to Yomikawa almost as if by instinct. Yomikawa nodded in acknowledgement.

"Good job. Sawada, Tsurara, this is Tantei Yoshi, the man I told you about. He was part of the unit that was sent to the scene when called. Yoshi, do you mind telling them the basic gist of what happened?"

"I don't mind personally," Tantei Yoshi frowned in discontent at the two kids before looking toward Yomikawa. "But is that really alright?"

"It's fine, it's fine. They're harmless kids, after all. What harm can be done?"

"I guess so." Tantei Yoshi sighed indifferently. "But there is really not much to tell. We got the call that an esper was calling trouble, so a small group of us suited up and went out as per normal. When we arrived on the scene, a single member of Judgment was holding off the esper. Shortly after, the esper collapsed for unknown reasons, so we brought them to a hospital to be looked after. At that point, I was ordered to return."

"I see." Kensuke muttered with a nod. Jūbei cocked her head as she eyed him curiously.

"What do you think?"

"It's exactly what I thought it would be like. In fact, I'm a little disappointed that it's like this."

"Well, I did tell you that it was nothing impressive, didn't I?" Yomikawa said with a dry grin. "Our job isn't as exciting as a lot of people make it out to be."

"If that's everything, I'll be going now."

Tantei Yoshi turned to head back out the door and Tessou Tsuzuri hurriedly stepped out of the way.

"Hold on just a moment. There is more."

Kensuke spoke up quickly before Yoshi could leave and Yoshi turned to look back at him with an exasperated look.

"Look, kid, I appreciate your interest, but contrary to popular belief, I _am _busy. I don't have time to play detective with you."

"You don't need to worry about playing along. Things are already progressing too fast to control; there is no other option but to be pulled into the current."

"…huh?"

"Basically, I've already looked into this matter quite a bit. I can promise you that you did not bring her to any hospital. I already made the mistake of taking an Anti-Skill member at his word there and ended up on a wild goose chase, searching with the hospital he told me about as well as those nearby. You did not bring her anywhere for treatment. It's unsurprising, considering her circumstances."

"Wait, kid. Are you calling me a liar? And you've already bothered someone else about this?"

Tantei Yoshi's eyes tightened in irritation as he regarded the serious and grim look on Kensuke's face. Kensuke's focus appeared to make him immune to the bad humor Yoshi was now in as he continued on talking, speaking his thoughts without concern.

"There is no proof that you are necessarily lying. In fact, considering I heard this story already from another person and the strange certainness you both have, I'm positive that you at the very least _think that you are telling the truth_. But that doesn't mean that you remember well enough. It's possible for memories to be tampered with."

"Kid, there is no way I'm wrong about this! I remember it clearly! We brought that girl straight to the hospital before I was ordered to return to headquarters! There is no way some fantastical development like the entire unit having developed amnesia or having suffered from mass-hysteria could have happened! I refuse to stand here and be called a liar by a kid!"

"Then prove it." Kensuke held his palm up, showing it to Yoshi. "I'm a psychometer. Since I'm only level 2, it's not as if I can read your mind by touching your head, but I can look for clues across your body to see where you've been."

Tantei Yoshi seemed to move completely on mad impulse. He rushed forward with obvious hostility in his eyes as he held his hands up in a position that made it obvious that he was aiming to throttle the serious Kensuke. Jūbei seemed somewhat startled by this sudden action and stumbled back, bumping into Kensuke. At the same time, Yoshi missed the timing with his steps and stumbled for a moment, staggering right into the spot where Kensuke had been before Jūbei knocked into him.

The next moment was almost a blur as a heavy thud sounded through the air. Yomikawa had Yoshi pinned firmly to the ground, locking both of his arms behind his back to prevent him from pushing himself back up.

"Damn it, Aiho! Get off of me!"

"I will not stand to see you attack these children so violently! Either relax or I'll freaking handcuff you to a telephone pole until you come to your senses, Yoshi!"

Yomikawa's response was firm and unwavering as she glared dangerously down at Yoshi. While Yoshi's sudden attack had been surprising, Yomikawa's sudden ferocity had just as much of an impact, though it was less unusual.

"Wow~ How scary Anti-Skill is!" Jūbei giggled as she clung to Kensuke's arm, ignoring his polite attempt to separate himself from her. "I feel chills!"

"We're not all like that." Tessou Tsuzuri sighed in a half-baked attempt to give an excuse. "I'm sorry about their overzealous actions."

"It's fine." Kensuke assured as he stepped forward, raising one hand. "Ms. Yomikawa, right? Can you hold him like that for a while? I'll use my power while he can't move."

"Sure. Go for it."

Tessou Tsuzuri could only look on without comment as Kensuke proceeded to touch the surface of Yoshi's body thoroughly, searching the areas exposed to the environment, mostly his clothes. Tsurara Jūbei stood beside her with a calm smile, patiently waiting in silence.

"Well, this is definitely…strange?" Sawada Kensuke murmured as he sat back on his heels, looking at his palm without sounding too sure of himself.

"Find something?"

"Yes, and no. His memories have been tampered with, like I thought. But not with esper powers. It seems like some sort of…device was used. I suspect that the others in the unit are in the same situation, so asking them is pretty much useless."

"Wait, device, you say?" Yomikawa repeated with distaste. "What exactly do you mean?"

"I'm not exactly sure. It's nothing that I'm familiar with, at the very least. Unless I touch the actually thing, can't be sure of how it works."

"Will this idiot be okay?"

Kensuke could only shrug at that. He was an aspiring doctor and had quite a bit of knowledge on chemistry, anatomy, physiology, etc. But one could not find a cure for a new disease without studying it. To do it on the spot, he'd need to be able to look into the body in depth somehow.

This made Kensuke clench his hand unconsciously. Were he a higher level, this sort of thing would be no problem. If he was at the right level, his psychometry would allow him to search Yoshi's body and mind at the touch of his hand, gathering information quickly and efficiently so he can take care of things with haste.

But at his current level, such a thing was but a dream. He could only read the information of past events by touching things and piece things together like a puzzle. To read everything thoroughly would require a much higher level than 2.

Yes, that would require level 5.

"It definitely wouldn't hurt to have him looked at in case there are side effects." Kensuke added as he lowered his hand. Jūbei watched his subtle movements without expression, simply taking it all in. "Thank you for your time. We'll see if there are any other ways to find information."

Kensuke and Jūbei headed toward the door with that farewell, but were stopped as Yomikawa stood up and grabbed Kensuke's shoulder. Kensuke blinked up at the member of Anti-Skill in surprise as he saw the warning look of concern in her face.

"Listen, you two. I get the feeling that something big is involved here. I don't like the idea of this idiot having his mind messed with. If you catch any whiff of trouble or a conspiracy, don't pursue it. Just report to Anti-Skill and keep your hands clean. You don't want to take the risk. Do you hear me?"

Kensuke didn't know how to respond. Through their close contact, he could practically feel the worry rolling off of this woman. She too…she was looking for someone as well. She appeared to be worried that that child might be involved in this somehow. And that child's name was—

"Don't worry about us!" Jūbei smiled as she clapped a hand on Yomikawa's extended arm, inadvertently prying it off. But it was too late to prevent the shock and guilt to wash over Kensuke, causing his face to go stone cold. "We like to think we're professionals! We know how to pull out when things get to messy! More importantly, know this! You are my goal! I have always known that I am an adorable girl blessed by the heavens, but you showed me just how immature I am! Don't think that you will not be seeing us again! There is no way I'll let anything happen to me before then!"

"R-Right…"

Yomikawa could only give that as a reply to Jūbei's bold declaration as Jūbei dragged Kensuke out the door. As soon as they were out, Jūbei embraced Kensuke around the neck and put her face closer to his. She frowned at his expression as she looked straight into his eyes.

"Something shocked you." She said bluntly. "This is almost as bad as when you first laid eyes on me."

"Don't draw parallels to that nightmare." Kensuke said darkly. "I was just a little taken off-guard."

"By what?"

"That woman…Yomikawa Aiho. Her compassion took me off guard. Being in the dark side is especially cold for a psychometer who tends to take in information unconsciously from the air. It's only natural that I would be shocked from that close contact. I promise you, it won't happen again."

"Hmm…" Jūbei didn't sound too convinced as Kensuke pulled away, but she didn't push him. "Do you think you'd be able to discriminate against the cold darkness and only feel the warmth of compassion if you were a level 5?"

A knife jabbed right into his scars. While Jūbei was normally sweet and cheerful, she could be incredibly cruel and heartless. However, Kensuke refused to let her see him flinch. She'd only keep at it if he showed too much weakness.

"I wouldn't do that even if I could." He replied with a firm tone as he strode ahead. "I chose to join the dark side to follow Asuna. I have no intention of purposely becoming weak."

Several days later, Tantei Yoshi would develop a tumor in his brain and pass away shortly after. Remembering the words of the boy with the large glasses, Yomikawa warned the other members of Yoshi's unit about the possible side effects, consequently saving their lives as they were diagnosed and treated quickly.

* * *

...

Well met, my friends. People are dyed in all kinds of colors. What colors are you?

So, we've returned to Sawada and Tsurara, the duo from CELL. This chapter refers to a previous chapter, confirming what you may have speculated already, even if unconsciously. Dull as the ability itself is, I find pychometry to be an interesting ability to analyze. It could end up as a form of telepathy if strong enough, or similar to clairvoyance. It's got me going on a whole theory related to the powers of espers, but I'll express that some time later.

It should be noted; had Sawada or Tsurara messed up by describing WORST in any way, even if they didn't know to tread carefully, Yomikawa would have been all over them. It's funny how situations like these can happy; you're walking on a tightrope but don't even realize it until you've already crossed to the other side. Sometimes it takes the power to really see inside someone in order to understand your situation completely.

Soon, the wonderful antagonists will be getting more definition. Villains are essentially in any story, in whatever form. Look forward to it, my dear readers! Until then, _bon amuse!_


	12. XII) Streaks of Silver Raindrops

Yomi Tadakatsu stood before the man who was currently their employer, a frown displaying his dismal mood. He wasn't interested in wasting time here, but he couldn't simply leave. As concerned as he was for Shidou, it was far from an excuse to simply leave when he was on duty.

Yomi Tadakatsu was a thin young esper with spiky dark hair wearing a black plugsuit. He had permanent circles under his eyes that showed how little sleep he had on average, reflected in his thin frame. Hanging from his belt was a real katana and sheath that made him seem incredibly out of place. The cross guard was a dark greenish color mixed with brown in a camouflage style while the tsuba was wrapped in a black cloth. It was as if he had taken the overall appearance of a ninja and samurai and modified it to suit his tastes. Not that he would fit in a crowd as he was.

He was a member of the underground organization known as REGULA, comprised of several Freshman, just like CELL.

He was in a research facility that seemed a bit like a military compound as it was far from the other portions of Academy City. It stood on dirt and rock rather than a paved ground and was surrounded by a large fence to cover the perimeter. The facility itself wasn't outdated, but thanks to its dirty surroundings that clashed with the normally clean and tidy Academy City, as well as its distant location, people tended to assume it was closed down and that there was no point in even wandering in that direction, serving as the perfect camouflage.

Little did they know that the facility was part of a dark research project that was shady enough to require the enlistment of an organization from the 'dark side'.

"It seems that your colleague dealt with quite a bit of trouble. I suppose he should be praised for getting the mission done even though he was caught."

The words of the researcher were harsh and lacked much sympathy as he observed the unconscious girl who was tightly and snugly wrapped in a sleeping bag. This girl had been brought back by the subordinates who were helping Akainu Shidou, a member of REGULA.

"He did his duty." Tadakatsu's smooth voice did not reflect his anxiety as he replied to the man's words. "We'll have to move on. His sense of judgment is the best of any of ours—he must have had to choose between securing the target and saving his own skin. We should respect his decision."

"It's his fault for getting into that position to begin with." The researcher snorted, shaking his head back and forth. "Didn't he have the power to predict the future? Well, he was still just a level two, so it can't be helped."

Tadakatsu merely grimaced without replying. The research glanced back at him with a raised eyebrow, intrigued by the silence.

"What? Don't tell me you're worried about that incompetent guy?"

"My feelings about the matter are hardly relevant, sir. I'm far more concerned about who managed to capture Shidou to begin with. I suspect the enemy may start making their way here."

"Right, right." The researcher sighed. "I doubt that, though. Our location is impressively hidden without using any high tech devices, like most people are used to, making it a challenge for us to be found so easily or so soon. But I suppose that guy might squeal, huh? Tell those men of yours to get on guard duty. I'll order our own security to pay more attention, too."

"Yes sir. But first…there is something we should confirm, if you don't mind."

Tadakatsu took a few steps forward and the two subordinates who'd brought the unconscious girl in shifted nervously as he regarded them both closely. A long silence passed as Tadakatsu focused on the face of one before slowly shifting his head to look at the other, scrutinizing their faces with an expression that gave away nothing.

"You," Tadakatsu said as he held one thin finger up to point. "I don't recognize you."

"I-I'm new, sir."

The subordinate replied shakily as Tadakatsu narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing further. After another long moment of silence, Tadakatsu sighed as he took a few steps back and turned his back to the men, letting them relax for a few moments.

"The organization REGULA is comprised of several members—the subordinate members and the few core field members." Tadakatsu said out loud for the research to hear, though the man only looked on in disinterest. Tadakatsu's hand rested on his sword's hilt calmly as he spoke in an almost leisurely tone. "We few field members can be easily distinguished by name and face, but our subordinate section is filled with trash from the recesses of Academy City's darkness who need a place to stay. Their names and faces are far more difficult to remember since they are many in number. However, that is the case for all underground organizations—GROUP, MEMBER, CELL, ITEM, SCHOOL…Graduate or Freshman, our basic setup is pretty similar. However, that means any of our subordinate members could blend in with the subordinates of another group without suspicion, if necessary. That would be quite a problem if this tactic was used against us, would it? So I decided to make up a counter-measure."

"Wait, what exactly are you implying?" The research cocked an eyebrow curiously, astounded by the simplicity of such a deadly tactic. "Are you trying to say that one of your men is an imposter?"

Instead of answering, Tadakatsu pressed his thumb to the hilt of his sword, pushing it out of the sheath slightly in preparation to draw it.

"You there; unrecognizable member. If you're new, you should clearly remember the orientation you went through telling you the answer to this question; 'What level am I?'"

"That's easy. You're a level 3." The man replied immediately as his shoulders relaxed slightly. Tadakatsu sighed heavily.

"Wrong answer."

Tadakatsu turned on his heel and strode toward the man as he drew his sword completely out of its sheath. The man stumbled back in surprise as he raised his hands up in front of him in a 'stop' motion.

"H-Hold on a sec! I know I'm right! You're definitely a level 3!"

"That's what the records say, but that's not the answer to the question." Tadakatsu replied without any sign of wavering in his eyes as he approached. "Everyone is supposed to answer with 'you're a Gemstone'."

The man grimaced as he realized how he had fallen for an intention trick question. He drew his gun from its holster on his belt and raised it to shoot. However, his movements were extremely sluggish and Tadakatsu easily batted his hand with the flat side of his sword, knocking the gun to the ground. Both the researcher and the other subordinate member were surprised as the man's reflexes seemed to slow considerably, as if he were in slow motion, whereas Tadakatsu seemed to speed up several times the norm, piercing his sword straight through the man's chest before he could guard against it or move out of the way.

"You know what this means, don't you?" Tadakatsu asked as he backed away from the body, withdrawing his sword and whipping it out with a shift movement of his wrist. The red liquid on its splattered to the ground like spraying water as the body collapsed to the ground, lifeless.

Neither the other subordinate nor the researcher could muster the energy to comprehend his words or reply. It was the other person who'd been standing in the room all along, quietly observing, who replied.

"They are closing in on us closer than we anticipated. They most likely already know where we are."

"We'll have to beef up our security one-hundredfold and get everyone on guard. We should also prepare 'that', just in case. Kihara said that if the situation proved to be worth it, we should use 'it' without hesitation."

The person was already moving by the time Tadakatsu looked in their direction, striding out the door. No meaningless questions asked. No complaints or concerns. Just following orders with haste and thoroughness.

Just like a computer.

"Y-You! Why did you do that out of nowhere! You scared the hell out of me!"

The researcher had recovered his bearings enough to become mad, but Tadakatsu paid it no mind. He found something to do in order to keep his mind off of Shidou's lack of luck and he was going to make sure that his colleague's efforts didn't go to waste.

"Sir, you'd best get started with whatever you wanted that girl for." Tadakatsu warned. "We'll hold off and defeat anyone who comes to the facility, but there is no point in taking meaningless risks by taking our time meaninglessly."

"I-I know!" The researcher's face was red with irritation as he looked toward the remaining subordinate. "Take her and follow me! If you damage her, you'll follow your friend's end!"

The subordinate didn't bother to respond, even to correct the researcher's mistake. He simply picked up the sleeping bag holding the unconscious girl as he headed after the researcher out the door.

Once they were gone, Tadakatsu took a deep breath and let it out slowly, gripping his katana tightly.

"Give me strength, Shidou." He murmured aloud. "I promise, once we're done here, I'll come to rescue you."

* * *

...

Well met, my friends. The antagonists are finally properly introduced and we make our way toward the battlefield. Soon, powers will be shown and some light shall be shed on the enemy plans. Soon enough, the somewhat chaotic seperation off all the characters will merge into a more uniform sequence of events.

Full points to whoever can draw the parallels between Yomi Tadakatsu and a certain historical figure.


	13. XIII) Invasion of Resolution

Gunshots rang through the air, completely ignoring the time of day. Despite the day still being bright at four in the afternoon, it seemed these men had no shame in firing their weapons at a little girl.

It was a little vexing for the other two. As soon as they'd almost come close enough to the facility that they could see it in the horizon, Kyouko Sakuya had used her aerokinesis to create a 'path of air' in order to run straight there, rather than bothering with the roads like the limousine, leaving behind Ibiki Tomoe and Suzuha Asuna.

Once they were past the main roads, the limousine had been able to drive off road to take a straighter path to the facility, going right onto the property as Asuna used her telekinesis to force open the fence. As they skidded to a stop and hopped out, they were greeted by the sound of gunshots and saw several men outside, many wearing what appeared to be army uniforms while many others seemed to just be wearing casual clothes.

"Normal people…?" Tomoe was bewildered by this sight. If they had been wearing uniforms, this sight may have made more sense. At least, they should have all been wearing black.

"Organizations from the dark side don't care for uniforms since they need to blend in with society." Asuna replied casually as she stepped out of the limousine. She stuck her head in to speak to the driver, telling him to wait in a safe spot until she called him back, before shutting the door. Tomoe got out as well and the limousine made a wide turn before heading back in the direction it came from.

"Aaaaassuuuuunnnaaaaa!" Sakuya's voice called as the girl rushed in their direction at top speed. Her blouse and skirt were covered in dirt, but she had managed to survive so far without any injuries. Tomoe could assume that it was thanks to her aerokinetic-based powers. "They knew we were coming, somehow!"

"You idiot!" Tomoe tensed as she saw the men shooting at Sakuya aim their guns toward all three as Sakuya led their attention to the other girls. "Don't run _at _us! You'll draw their fire!"

But it was too late. Sakuya was already on them as the men's guns flared, spewing pure led in their direction like a maelstrom. The gunshots kicked up a lot of dirt, sending a low cloud of it up at the girls' knees, but none of the girls collapsed.

"Since they knew we were coming, we'll have to assume the spy I had Alexander plant in their ranks was found out." Asuna sighed as she held one hand up in front of her. All the bullets that flew at them stopped abruptly in the air before her as if they were striking an invisible viscous fluid, unable to move any further. Eventually, the men decided to stop firing, seeing how useless it was. "But at least this means that we're on the right track by coming here. At any rate, you need to relax, Sakuya. You won't be able to protect yourself with your 'Material High' properly if you keep moving."

"But my money…!"

Asuna sighed irritably as she scratched her brown hair with one hand. The bullets fell to the ground uselessly. With her 'Float Dial', she could catch and throw things, but was unable to shift their form or send them forward with enough speed to imitate a gun. However, her weight capacity was extremely high and the number of objects she could control at once was extremely high. It was for this reason that her ability was named as it was, with different connotations from the other level 4 esper with an ability called 'Float Dial'.

"Alright, fine. I know you won't shut up and focus until you get your money back, so how about this? I'll stay here and act as the diversion as you two get inside and search for the money and the clone."

"So I'll have to look for her myself, huh?" Tomoe sighed, though she couldn't complain. She had every intention of finding Misaka WORST, with or without help.

The men had approached the three girls, probably planning to get too close for Asuna to catch the bullets with her telekinesis in time. More men was coming out of the building as well, clearly planning on creating a large barricade to prevent the girls from advancing.

Sakuya held both of her hands up in front of her as if she were playing on a piano and a grin appeared on her face. The slow breeze seemed to vanish as the men fired their guns once more on them, but the bullets simply glanced off of the air as if there were a wall there. This bewildered the men only further and Sakuya's smile widened as she clenched her hands tightly.

Though it was not visible to the human eye, Sakuya was able to manipulate air particles, stopping and condensing them to create invisible walls and shapes. It was with this power that she could mime generic geometrical shapes into the air, like boxes, circles, pillars, and such. This mostly served as making nearly invincible walls and/or floors to walk on.

However, it could also be used offensively by allowing the compressed air to suddenly expand outward, creating something similar to a small air bomb. It wasn't fatal, but with enough strength, it could easily knock people off of their feet.

And this is exactly what she did. She released her clenched hands and a small explosion appeared to occur in front of her, sending air slamming into the nearby men to send them flying back like ragdolls, sailing almost a foot through the air.

"Come on!" Sakuya urged the stunned Tomoe as she broke into a run, heading down the straight path to the facility she'd opened up. Tomoe shook herself out of her surprise and quickly followed after her. The newly made hole in the enemy's ranks would soon close up.

"Don't let them pass!" Someone yelled at the top of their lungs. "Shoot them!"

"Don't just ignore people right in front of you."

A large chunk of rock crashed into the middle of the group of men, sending them all sprawling back in shock. Asuna frowned as she strolled forward, several large boulders ripped straight out of the ground floating around her as if she were the sun and they were the revolving planets.

"If you want to attack them, try shooting me down first, why don't you?"

"It seems I've arrived just in time for the interesting portion of this saga, though it seems I was not early enough. Well, I suppose there is no helping what has already happened, even if I may regret it. I am ghost who appears when needed, but was not able to help the man who I put into danger. He must have performed his duty bravely, so at the very least, I must make sure that it is not all for naught. Rest at ease, my friend. No contribution, however big or small, will be forgotten, even in this age that is filled with manner-less curs!"

Alexander Terrarium, rarely known as the sixth level 5, 'Dimensional Slider', stood in a room alone, even as he spoke without whispering. He wore his tawny sweater vest, white long sleeved collared shirt, long slacks that were longer than necessary, and Pikolinos shoes that were without laces. He had one hand at his red tie, tightening it subconsciously as his attention was elsewhere. The normal grin of amusement was missing from his half Asian features as his blonde eyebrow cocked slightly in thought.

Alexander was within the facility that Last Order had been brought to, acting on information he'd gathered from multiple sources, including the information from CELL. He'd yet to share with them information about Last Order, but it wouldn't have changed what they had to do, so he hadn't bothered. Besides, he was sure it would be more interesting if they didn't know until the last moment.

Besides, Alexander had his own duties to perform. He'd planted a spy within the ranks of CELL's subordinate members and the length of the man's service had expired, so he came to pick him up. Alexander had been dismayed by the sight of a fresh corpse with a hole in its chest lying on the ground, bearing the same face as the person Alexander had entrusted with such an important task.

However, rather than regretting his decision, he simply swore to avenge the man in his own unique way.

As a man who stood in the grey area, and as a ghost, it was difficult to say whether anyone could really be grateful or dismayed that he had managed to slip into the facility so easily.

The proudest and most skilled among teleport-type espers, he was blessed with a powerful sense of spatial cognizance—the ability to sense things around him without actually seeing them. It was limited, though. Practically no different from feeling everything around you with your eyes shut at once. However, it was quite useful for teleporting things he could not see and for sensing when people were nearby, even if he could not distinguish properly. With his ability, he could search the entire building quite quickly.

It would be easy.

Far too easy.

"Kihara Bunshi knows of my ability. This is nothing more than mere provocation—an invitation. He might expect me to run around the building with my power, tiring myself out until he can do away with me. Or perhaps he set up a trap where I cannot use my powers. Truly, the best counter-measure for my ability is a trap that I cannot see, for I cannot avoid it. Excellent, Kihara! Magnificent! But do not underestimate me! If you think I will run with my tail between my legs, you are sorely mistaken! I am Alexander Terrarium, the protector of the earth and lord of dimensions! I am the reaper of karma who has come to cut you down!"

With that bold declaration, Alexander disappeared, almost as if he was never there. He only reappeared in another empty hallway for a brief moment before vanishing and reappearing elsewhere, almost as if he were 'jumping'.

All espers who could teleport utilized the theory of dimensions. Not dimensions like alternate universe, but dimensions in reference to 2D and 3D. Perspective and concepts were different with each dimension (such as a two-dimensional object vanishing when turned a certain way) and there are four known ones that affect us. However, teleports use 11-dimensional coordinates in order to calculate trajectory and vectors in order to move instantaneously. All complications aside, you could think of it like a person could move faster on a different dimensional plane rather than the ones we are on.

Such an ability requires quite a bit of calculative ability. Teleporting espers require more focus and concentration then other abilities and their calculative abilities are often more advanced.

As you might imagine, it is because of this extra room in his brain that is exercised for teleportation that gives Alexander his talent at advanced planning when it comes to his 'operations' to knock people off of their pedestals.

So Alexander could pride himself on his precision, control, and overall talent with teleportation as a level 5. He had a certain condition that he had to deal with, but he did not consider it to be a crippling disadvantage—the opposite, in fact. In any case, he did not boast of incredible offensive power like the first, third, fourth, or seventh. Each level 5 was definitely unique in their own way, and this excited Alexander.

He had to wonder, were these people interesting because they were level 5? Or were they level 5 because they were so interesting?

"I'll have to find that out on my own, I suppose, in due time." Alexander sighed with a small smile on his face. He folded his arms behind his back as he came to an abrupt halt with his teleportation, appearing inside a large room. "But for now, I must give my focus to the mission at hand. And so I say; Well met, stranger!"

Standing across from him in the room was a young man wearing a trench coat and scarf that hid his entire body, save his upper face and hair. His eyes were a sharp cyan blue that seemed to shine, as if polished, as he stared at Alexander expressionlessly.

Frankly, everything about this person was cold. His lack of expression or ego, his freezing cold silence—even the very air around him seemed to drop in temperature. Alexander felt an involuntary shudder go down his back as he realized just how cold the room was, reaching him even with his warm clothes on.

Even the walls were simply mirrors that reflected the nearly empty room. Behind the boy with the trench coat were several dozen horizontal capsules made of some sort of material that didn't let one see inside without opening them. Noticeably, every one of them was the perfect size to hold a small child.

"How very suspicious." Alexander murmured with a grin. "May I ask what this room is for?"

"…"

The boy made no attempt to respond and Alexander cocked his brow curiously.

"What is the matter? Are you unsure of what this room is as well?"

"No. I could not think of how to answer you, since it would do nothing more than echo what you are apparently guessing at."

The boy's response was empty—emotionless and cold. It had no bias or any interest in it. It was simply answering Alexander's second question without wasting a breath.

It bothered Alexander to no end.

"Then tell me; if I were to teleport the contents of those capsules into the open, what will happen?"

"You'd have to try it yourself. I do not know enough of your power to give you a proper conclusion."

A truthful and straightforward answer with no sarcasm. Just who was this strange boy?

"I am Chester Greene of REGULA." The boy seemed to read Alexander's expression and answered before the question could be asked (indirectly). "I am here to prevent your goal from being attained. If you leave, you will not provoke any action from me."

"Oh dear, are you some sort of robot? I suppose you are simply following orders, correct? But what of your personal thoughts?! Do you stand there because it is your duty or do you stand there because someone else told you it is so?"

"…"

It seemed that Chester Greene was either uninterested or unable to answer that question as he remained silent. Alexander sighed in exasperation as he pushed his bangs back over his head, cupping his forehead.

"Chester Greene, correct? Listen to my words and heed them; leave this place. I am not interested in fighting a person who does not even act on their own volition, even slightly. I would lecture you on the importance of individuality, but I do not have time. If you live your life doing what you hate, you'll hate your life. That is the information I'll impart you with for now. Leave now and let me investigate this room properly."

"No."

"…Pardon?"

"No."

Chester simply repeated his short reply and Alexander lowered his hand as he considered this word of defiance. It wasn't the defiance that bothered him—it was the way this boy seemed to lack all hesitation.

Was he even human?

"You labor under the false assumption that I harbor dislike for my current actions." Chester continued on, speaking almost as quickly as Alexander does, but without any emotion whatsoever. "I do not. Nor do I like it. It is not a question of pointless bias, but whether I must do it or not, and I must. So I am here. Do you need further explanation?"

Alexander stared at Chester for a long moment before lowered his head, his blonde bangs shadowing his eyes as he spoke in a low voice.

"…No. I no longer need an explanation. What you have told me is plenty, Chester Greene."

"Agreed. From what I was told of you, that much of an explanation should suffice. Moving on to the next point, will you continue to pursue your goal? Or will you leave?"

"Listen well, my foil! I shall always pursue what interests me! I'd sooner be caught and punished for doing what I like than living my life peacefully, dissatisfied with my decisions! The difference between you and I is clear as day! Is it your lack of sentiment? Our level? Ethnicity? No! It is the difference of _passion!_ I shall show you, my empty shell of a foil, what true passion looks like as it takes physical form! Watch closely, for it is rare to be able to witness it in such pure form!"

* * *

...

And so the invasion begins! The girls, disorganized as they may appear, are prepared for a fierce fight with no regrets. Meanwhile, a certain self-proclaimed hero faces with an opponent who cannot be called a villain, and yet is his opposite. Look forward to seeing how their relationship develops.

As time passes, the fighting will draw in familiar faces who would naturally be involved in such a chaotic situation. Look forward to seeing their zeal as they focus on rescuing more than they came for.


	14. XIV) Face to Face with Coincidence

Elsewhere within the facility, Tomoe and Sakuya were hiding behind the walls at the turn of a corridor as bullets sailed past, as if attempting to shower them. The security within the building was just as overwhelming as it was outside, except they had a greater chance of being trapped. Trigger happy men seemed to be around every corner, and it was simply exasperating. Asuna was supposed to be diverting their attention and there was that large group who'd gone outside to see the commotion, but there were still too many people around that prevented them from moving freely.

Plus…

"One of those jerks has to know where my money is! Try not to knock them out until we've questioned them!"

"Shouldn't we be more worried about our own well-being, first?" Tomoe suggested even though she doubted Sakuya could hear her over the roar of bullets. Tomoe turned her focus to the situation instead.

It would be suicide to simply jump into the middle of the hallway in order to use her vibrations to knock away all of the men. She'd be shot dead long before she could try. Trying to go a different way would be pointless as well. It was probable that there were men waiting in those directions as well.

Which meant Tomoe had to do something about the vibrations first.

Tomoe took a deep breath as she shut her eyes, listening to the sound of bullets that followed as she shook her braids slightly into the open corridor, provoking the gunfire. Shaking off the shiver she received from their scary reaction time, she managed to catch the wavelength of the sound of the bullets. On the next volley, she was able to grasp and bend them as if they were several dozen strings and she was entangling them. With a snap of her fingers, she sent them all into disarray, creating a strange phenomenon.

She was lucky the walls were made of some sort of chrome material that echoed well. The sound of the bullets firing and deflecting off of the walls bounced differently from before, making a shrill shriek that fired back at the shooters like a banshee yelling at the top of its lungs.

Tomoe followed up immediately, jumping out into the open as she held her hands up together, clapping them as if applauding. The sound waves were amplified, as if they were being played from an amplifier set on max, sending a deep rumble through the entire building that resembled a minor quake. The cringing men were thrown off of their feet from the shockwave and were completely disoriented from their assault on their eardrums.

No matter how one trained oneself, one could only handle a certain level of volume. 85 decibels over eight hours was the estimated ratio for safe exposure of volume level to duration.

Of course, sounds too high could not be heard, nor sounds too low. Tomoe was using a level of volume close to the max that could be picked up by human ears, which was enough to shell shock a person at close range.

But she had to control it so that neither she nor Sakuya would catch the brunt of it. Because of this, several holes were left in both her attack and her defense, leaving several people unharmed despite the severity of her attack.

"Get out of the way!" One of the casually dressed man from the subordinate section of the dark side stepped forward as he held a cylinder shaped object over his shoulder as he grinned fiercely. He was a large man and he didn't appear to be deaf, so it was obvious that he had been lucky enough to be in one of the holes in Tomoe's attack. "I'll blow that bitch straight to hell!"

Tomoe tried to move out of the way as the man knelt down on one knee and aimed to cylinder shaped object in her direction. She realized just how dangerous a rocket launcher like that would be in such close range and she certainly did not want to be caught up in the explosion. But thanks to her previous attack, her limbs were still shaking and she struggled to move them properly.

Even if she had proper control over them, it was doubtful that she'd be able to evade properly.

_Which means I'll have to cushion the blow with my ability…_ Tomoe thought grimly as she braced herself, watching the large man pull the trigger merciless. This was sure to hurt.

The sight of seeing the rocket explode several feet in front of her almost spontaneously was shocking. Tomoe stumbled a bit as she realized that her ability was no longer needed. The smoke was being held back away from her as if there was an invisible wall in front of her, making an amusing but still eerie sight.

"Don't look at me that way." Sakuya crossed her arms over her chest as Tomoe glanced back at her. "You should look more grateful. My ability can even handle a 150 caliber blast from a tank at point blank. Something at this level won't even scratch my walls."

_I guess everyone has their moments._ Tomoe simply sighed aloud. She then held her hand up toward Sakuya; an offer.

"Come one; we'll use this smoke screen as our chance to plow through their ranks. With my power, we'll get through as quick as sound."

"Hold on right there."

A voice floated through the smoky air in response to Tomoe's suggestion and both girls did a double take as a figure burst through the smoke, striding right toward them, apparently unaware of the wall.

They were surprised by the way he held a katana in his hand as if he were some sort of samurai.

But even more so, they were taken aback by the tired and fierce look in his eyes.

The man broke into a run at the last second, shifting his body horizontally in a streamline position that seemed to take advantage of the lack of obstruction his plugsuit gave him. However, he was picking up enough momentum to ram into the invisible wall at top speed. He'd probably knock himself out that way.

However, just as he was approaching the invisible wall, he brought his sword up and slashed out in front of him with a controlled movement. Immediately afterward, he sheathed his katana in the sheath on his hip.

Tomoe was confused by the events but Sakuya gasped in apparent shock. A moment later, the man rushed through the spot where the wall should have been without any problem.

"What?! How?!" Tomoe gasped as she immediately tensed herself. But she was far too slow. For some reason, her body was sluggish, as if something was weighing her down. The next thing she knew, the man's foot sunk into her gut, kicking her into the wall roughly. Tomoe sank to her knees with a groan, having had her breath knocked out of her.

Sakuya, on the other hand, was better prepared. She managed to block the man's initial kick and use his momentum to get around him. However, her movement seemed slower as well while his seemed faster—lighter. Was this his power at work?

"You're that guy with the same name as that samurai, right?" Sakuya asked with a frown as she faced the man with a wary look in her eyes. The man watched her as well, his body relaxed, yet ready to shoot into any necessary position on a moment's notice.

"Yomi Tadakatsu." The man responded with a strained voice. "You're from the 'dark side' too, right?"

"That I am." Sakuya showed no intention of giving her name in return. "If I remember right, you're the gemstone from REGULA, right? Were you hired to guard this place?"

"You could say that. You wouldn't happen to have been the ones to have captured Shidou, would you?"

Tadakatsu's eyes narrowed as Sakuya looked at him blankly. His hands tightened slightly for a moment but loosened almost immediately afterward as he sighed.

"No matter. My job remains the same."

Tomoe struggled to push herself to her feet, taking deep breaths to keep herself from throwing up. She'd really been caught off-guard by that attack.

Sakuya glanced back at her for a moment; seeming to consider her before a light suddenly appeared in her eye.

"Hey, Tomoe! Are you still breathing?"

"It'll take more than that to keep me down." Tomoe assured as she took a few steps forward. Sakuya casually stepped back at the same time. "I've gone through worse while training in Judgment."

"Then I'll have to leave this guy to you. Our abilities don't really 'agree'."

Sakuya murmured in Tomoe's ear briefly as she stepped past her, heading the opposite way down the corridor, heading toward the unconscious men in order to force one awake and question him. Tomoe clicked her tongue irritably as she braced her body.

So that was what had happened to her.

Tadakatsu grunted slightly as he stepped forward, his tired eyes glaring into Tomoe's face. Almost immediately, Tomoe felt her body slow down as Tadakatsu seemed to glide in her direction, aiming to knock her unconscious with a single blow.

Tomoe easily evaded Tadakatsu's strike and grabbed his arm, bringing her knee up with expert aim into his gut. Tadakatsu stumbled back in shock, but Tomoe refused to release his arm as she brought her fist by to slug Tadakatsu across the face. Tadakatsu caught the strike and ripped his arm from Tomoe's grasp. He attempted to punch her in return, but Tomoe swatted aside the attack that should have been too fast for her to counter. Her arms locked around his waist, to his surprise, and she tossed him to the ground with amazing ease.

Even so, the grappling technique that would have incapacitated a normal person temporarily was shrugged off as this man whose namesake was a samurai merely stood back up again, his harsh gaze digging into Tomoe.

Tomoe pushed her braids behind her head to keep her face clear of obstruction as she raised her hands up in front of her, both balled into fists.

"It's just like Sakuya said." Tomoe allowed herself a bit of relief at the revelation. "Your power counters hers, but mine counters yours. It's like a weapon pyramid in a game except a lot harder to find the matchups."

* * *

...

And so the fight between REGULA and CELL truly begins. The next chapter will be longer as we see more of Academy City's ghost along with the cruelty of Kihara. Look forward to it.


	15. XV) The Poltergeist Who Breaks Egos

The temperature had dropped several more degrees in the few seconds it took Chester Greene to draw a water bottle from his jacket. He unscrewed the cap and poured the contents out right in front of him. But rather than splashing to the ground, the water froze in midair, creating a decently sized crystal of ice that floated a few feet above the ground.

Alexander watched patiently as Chester did this several more times, increasing the volume of the ice crystal by several times. Once they were empty, Chester simply tossed aside the water bottles without paying them any further heed.

After about ten bottles, Chester finally stopped. The large ice crystal shifted through the air ominously, lifting higher into the air over Chester's head as it formed a nondescript shape. Alexander chortled after observing this.

"Cyrokinesis, eh? It would be more interesting if you sculpted it into a dragon or a moving giant of some sort. By freezing and melting the joints rapidly, you might give it the semblance of moving freely, you know."

Chester held up one final water bottle and unscrewed the cap. Rather than pouring out the contents, he chucked it into the air over Alexander's head, letting the water spiral out of it toward the ground.

"You plan to freeze the water spilling out of that as it falls in order to hit me from above, don't you?" Alexander shifted his body casually to position himself in the perfect position to avoid being splashed by the water sailing overhead. "An interesting move, but useless. No one is better at calculating distance and positioning than I! You would have been better off using this tactic before preparing right before my eyes, Chester Greene!"

As Alexander proclaimed his counter without shame, Chester twitched his finger. At the same time, Alexander cocked his head as notice movement above him.

A single shard of ice had used the water bottle as a shield from view before shooting down from above like a dart, straight at Alexander's head along with splattering water and shredded plastic.

Alexander teleported out of the way just in time to evade the shard of ice, reappearing several feet away as he regarded his sweater vest with a sigh. It had gotten slightly wet before he was able to completely dodge, making the shoulder soggy and cold. However, he did not worry too much about it. He was more interested in the dart.

It had come from above the water bottle, which meant…

_So he can separate the frozen water from that large chunk floating over him. Interesting. However, since he used water bottle to begin with, it's clear that he cannot freeze the water vapor permanently available in the air. And…_

Alexander regarded his numb shoulder. The water that had splashed on to his vest had frozen solid even though it had already been absorbed by his vest. That boy was probably able to freeze any liquid water and manipulate ice freely.

But to what extent?

Chester pocketed both of his hands in the pockets on his trench coat. Though his mouth and nose were covered by his scarf, Alexander could tell he was taking a deep breath by the way his chest rose and fell.

The large ice crystal floating above Chester suddenly began to crush itself into small ice needles and fly down at Alexander like a barrage of deadly arrows. Alexander instinctively teleported, but the ice needles changed targets the moment he reappeared, aiming toward him once more. Alexander clicked his tongue as he teleported into the air to evade once more, but this time, the ice needles reacted quicker, firing at the same spot he reappeared with less than a second for him to breathe. Alexander could only imagine that he was keeping track of him with thermo-sensory. With the numbing temperature, Alexander's warm blooded aspect must have made him stick out like an islander in the middle of Tokyo.

Considering the concentration needed to teleport, the user needed to know exactly where he was going when he teleported. Being pressured to teleport to a random location all of the sudden without thinking ahead was far too dangerous, even for Alexander, unless he wanted to become one with the wall. It certainly seemed that Chester had done his homework on teleporting espers.

But Alexander wasn't just any teleporting esper.

He was a ghost.

"Excellent shot, Chester Greene, but it will take more than this to reach me!"

Alexander cackled aloud as the shards of ice seemed to either miss or go through him in an illogical fashion. With no feasible way to dodge in midair without teleporting, Alexander seemed to be able to evade the barrage of ice without even moving.

Alexander's grin widened as he noticed the small amount of hesitation and confusion shadow Chester's face. He'd finally made the stoic boy show some sort of human reaction, if minimal. Alexander prided himself in being able to provoke reactions—he couldn't stand the thought of being unable to annoy someone in some way.

"You seem confused, my foil!" Alexander spoke as the floating ice crystal fired the last of itself and the ice shards ceased flying at him. He teleported from midair to land on the ground as he adjusted his tie casually.

"I am Alexander Terrarium, the sixth level 5 and the most skilled teleporter to date! You should understand now. Teleportation requires the manipulation of dimensions beyond the four that we are aware affects our world. The fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth…all the way to the eleventh! You cannot see the back of a 2D object nor can you understand the exact nature of the eighth dimension! Even if you throw something at me from point blank, so long as it is using vectors from the 3D world and flies along a 2D path, it cannot hope to reach me while I distort the dimensions around me to 8D!"

A dimension unable to be understood or perceived by the current level of human knowledge.

Even Alexander himself was unable to understand it; he only understood the results it brought.

It was fitting for the best teleporting esper who called himself the 'ghost of Academy City' to be able to use such an ability.

Of course, this power was not omnipotent. As it was, Alexander could not use his teleportation powers so long as he was distorting the eighth dimension. He would have to cease his ability first before he could instantaneously teleport, and there was a momentary window where he could not teleport immediately afterward. But even with as big of a mouth as he had, Alexander did not feel compelled to divulge this fact.

"Well then! I gave away my secret out of pure magnanimity! Chester Greene, how do you plan to respond?"

Chester didn't answer. His eyes remained stoic and crystal clear as he stared at Alexander. But the young man playing absently with his tie and adjusting the cuffs of his sleeves did not miss the movement around him. The ice shards had collected in the air after being shot, grinding into a fine, snow-like substance. After a moment, the snow began to spin rapidly in a clockwise direction, enveloping Alexander in a flurry of white. Alexander observed the blizzard of snow around him with a curious expression without any sign of panic.

It was truly a beautiful sight and he openly admired it even as it closed in on him.

"White snow; pure and untarnished, yet bites coldly when touched. Sometimes beauty should only be admired from afar, a fact human being are incapable of understand."

Alexander murmured these words like a poem right before the snow swallowed him up. Even so, his voice did not die down.

"An interesting attempt, Chester Greene. You planned to attack me from all feasible sides in order to strike me, similar to how a globe can converge on its center while leaving no room for escape. However, by simply using the eleventh dimension, I can teleport just like any other esper from my category. Or have you forgotten?"

Chester whirled on the heel of his foot as the last sentence was spoken behind him, but he only caught a glimpse of Alexander's figure before the young man disappeared abruptly, leaving behind a single green egg-shaped object in the air.

Chester processed this thing that he could understand almost immediately and kicked off the ground, jumping back as far as he could as the blizzard of snow shot forward to envelope the egg-shaped object, closing around it completely.

"I see. So when it comes to the terrestrial facts that humans can comprehend, you do not even hesitate. You truly are nothing more than a computer with flesh, are you?"

Alexander sighed as he stood a few feet behind Chester and Chester turned once more to face this man. Alexander held one hand up and the grenade appeared in the air just a few inches away from his shoulder. Alexander swiftly caught the grenade without panic, gripping the clutch to prevent it from exploding.

"I believe I understand now. You are one of _his_ toys, aren't you? One's ability derives from one's Personal Reality. Usually this is comprised of one's dreams, ego, passion, fears, and understanding of the world. This is a given. However, you seem to lack all but the latter. I am loathe to ask, but…have you had your emotions erased?"

"I am Chester Greene, a member of REGULA and a level 4 cyrokinetic." Chester replied in a monotone voice. "Years ago, not long after I awakened my power in the Academy City's Power Curriculum Program, Kihara Bunshi requested that I partake in an experiment to better understand Personal Realities."

"And that experiment was?"

"All I can say is that it is as you can guess. The rest is confidential, so do not inquire further."

Alexander's jaw set as he lowered his head slightly. It may have been a meaningless motion for anyone else, but in Alexander's case, it was a significant change. He lost interest in upholding any self-imposed title or image. He felt a sort of boiling fury within him that rarely appeared even as he dealt with the most detestable or uninteresting people the world had to offer.

The boy had had his personality ripped away from him along with his dreams and desires. He had no will of his own any longer. Any aspirations or ambition he may have had ceased to exist.

This boy was living his life at the whim of those above him, guiding him like a puppet. Regardless of whether or not he agreed to the experiment voluntarily at first, he certainly could not agree to it now.

It wasn't right!

A human being should be able to do whatever they want as they want. If they wished to become dictator of the world, so be it. If they wished to sing in back alley streets, so be it. Whatever it was, human beings had the freedom to do what they want, even if they hurt others in the process.

But it not wrong to do what you want in retaliation to a despot. If a man wanted to rule the world, that would be fine. If a person opposed him and stood against him, that was fine too.

A world where people could not freely oppose or stand with each other was hardly an interesting world at all.

It was the only kind of world where Alexander would be driven to commit suicide.

"Chester Greene, hear my words! Once again, I no longer have interest in fighting you! I lose the will power to oppose one who does not act with ego! You, in the most literal sense of the world, have no ego! And so my patience with you wanes!"

Chester looked back at Alexander without expression, his crystal blue eyes reflecting the scene before him without any bias morphing the image.

"You lose interest because I have no personal motivation to oppose you?"

"That is correct! I am the protector of the earth, and you are a part of that earth; just another victim! So rather than continue with this meaningless duel, allow me to extend a request to you!"

Alexander raised his empty hand and held it out toward Chester, a look of determination on his smiling face.

"Kihara Bunshi is evil! As a member of the earth that I protect, join us! Join those who act on their own free will! Search for yourself so that when we face each other once more, it may be because you have made your decision and I have made mine!"

He was offering to help Chester recover his personality and would willingly fight against Kihara Bunshi along with the rest of Academy City for his sake without regrets, knowing that even after retrieving his personality; Chester may choose to become Alexander's enemy. In fact, Alexander welcomed such an outcome so long as it was an outcome that came about thanks to the actions they decided on themselves, rather than their lack of ability to decide properly.

Alexander was the type who would faithfully and full heartedly act, keeping honor in one eye and death in the other. Whether he ended up in jail or as a canonized saint for doing what he felt was right, or if he lived a life or prosperity or was killed, he'd endure it without regrets.

However…

"I will not turn traitor to my benefactor simply because you offer me the chance to reclaim something I do not need. No matter how I look at it, the cons completely outweigh the utter lack of pros."

Chester's response was honest and blunt with any hesitation, and it was the truth. Despite the fact that he had lost his emotions, he did not miss them. He had no reason to turn traitor at the request of this stranger.

"So you condone it?" Alexander frowned darkly. "This injustice? This evil?"

"I do as I am ordered to. What is evil to you is good to another. You are simply imposing your bias on others, are you not? No matter how much you argue, not everyone will agree with your morals. Otherwise, there would only be one religion and one country throughout the world."

Naturally. Human beings were creatures that existed as individuals. As such, their morals and opinions differed and varied. That was what Alexander loved about humanity.

However, Chester Greene was an existence that denied that human nature. Alexander could try to embrace and help that existence, nurturing him into an existence far more reasonable and acceptable.

Or he could erase it.

"You will not bend on your decision no matter my argument?"

"I cannot imagine any possible argument that supports your bias."

Alexander sighed miserably as Chester once again replied without hesitating. It seemed that the subject could not be pursued.

So there was little choice.

"At the very least…you should be proud that you stood firm in your own warped ideals, or lack of."

Alexander murmured aloud as the grenade in his hand vanished with his teleportation. Chester's eyes widened as the grenade reappeared in his side, embedded within his skin as if merging with him.

Alexander watched without expression as Chester whipped one hand out and a spear of pure ice sailed forward at Alexander. However, the spear appeared to veer around Alexander as it passed through a distortion, missing as an explosion of shrapnel filled the air. Alexander waved his hand and several of the plastic bottles that were lying on the ground appeared before him in the same moment that the ice spear passed by and the shrapnel embedded itself in the bottles, leaving Alexander completely unharmed.

Alexander sighed darkly as he averted his gaze from the crumpled body of Chester. He was prepared to even get on his knees and ask a favor of Her Majesty* if Chester had agreed. But Alexander had already accepted this as one of many truths to hold self-evident. A hero was doomed to shoulder the pain and burden of others and witness tragedy after tragedy. It was the hero's duty to be the one to bring smiles and joy to those whose burdens they carry. But there were times when the hero had to forcibly 'steal' that burden from someone else. Alexander was fully prepared to overwrite someone else's will with his own.

If only others could be true to themselves. 'Do what you want to do'. Was such a basic and general concept so difficult to understand? People were always complaining and trying to say they 'had to do something'. Always, people seemed to be confused with who they were. Level 5, level 0, or normal person, they were all the same in this respect. Alexander pretended not to mind, but he was annoyed with them to no end. Interesting as they may have been, even his companions failed to satisfy him. Suzuha Asuna…Tomoe Ibiki…Kyouko Sakuya…Accelerator…Misaka Mikoto…they all failed to be honest with themselves in many occasions.

Why was it so difficult to admit to being who you are?

"Well, I suppose this was inevitable. Considering how difficult to understand your ability is, it would have been expecting far too much to think that Chester could beat you. He is like a dry pasta string before you cook it. He may be tough, but when put under the right pressure, he is not flexible enough to handle it."

Alexander frowned as he looked up at the figure standing among the horizontal capsules that had somehow managed to remain unaffected by the previous battle. Chester Greene must have consciously taken care to prevent any damage from coming to them.

This figure that had appeared wore a black trench coat open over a red t-shirt and had silver greasy hair that was slicked back. He had half-closed eyes that gave him the impression of either a very tired or very bored person. He wore goggles over his head for no apparent reason, keeping it above his forehead to mess up his bangs.

This couldn't be anyone else but Kihara Bunshi, a dangerous scientist from the Kihara family.

He had no special powers like esper abilities, nor did he hold the intimidating banner of any big group or organization, such as Skill-Out or REGULA.

He simply had the bloodline of a Kihara.

That was all.

* * *

...

Alexander Terrarium, the self-proclaimed sixth level 5 and ghost of Academy City. He has the qualities of the hero while clinging to his philosophy of the 'grey area'. When it comes to advance planning, he's nothing to laugh at, so I suggest keeping an eye on his words and actions to try to find a hint as to what he's planning. That's if you can even begin to guess what someone like him is thinking to begin with.

*=It's Alexander's way of referring to Shoukuhou Misaki, playing with her title of 'Queen'.

Kihara Bunshi's a difficult character for me to use since, as you know, he hasn't even been introduced properly in the RailDex universe. I don't like to conflict with the canon, so I have all sorts of fixes in mind for when facts are revealed, so I suppose you can look forward to them. Until then, I'll be having fun as I am now. Look forward to the next chapter!


	16. XVI) Internal Poison

"…What are you?"

Alexander asked with a suspicious tone as he regarded the figure with a stony appearance. Kihara Bunshi raised an eyebrow in response.

"Whatever do you mean, Dimensional Slider?"

"I asked you what you are. There is no point in hiding it; I know you're not really there."

Kihara Bunshi continued to look at Alexander questioningly until a revelation seemed to dawn to him. The man sighed with a slight smile as he nodded to himself.

"I see. Very interesting. I had never expected that."

Kihara Bunshi grinned more broadly as he regarded Alexander with an interest and amusement, apparently dropping a façade he had been planning on keeping, only to have to drop it so soon into this encounter.

"Byouri told me that, supposedly, the number 2's power can be classified as psychokinesis because he is manipulating his Dark Matter as any other psychokinetic would control their respective element; hydro hands with water, pyrokinetics with fire, and so on. However, he also uses his ability as if they were his own limbs and can gather information from his surroundings with his Dark Matter. Meaning, his ability also grants him a certain level of psychometry. If I were to guess, you're the same, aren't you? Your ability, 'Dimensional Sliding', is classified as teleportation. However, you have a certain level of clairvoyance too. Spatial cognizance…right?"

"Indeed, Kihara. With this power that I have dubbed such, I can easily tell whether or not my eyes deceive me, even if it is difficult for me to tell you for sure what is there whenever my eyes fail to properly recognize something."

Alexander pointed one finger dramatically at Kihara Bunshi, taking a pose that looked too natural to not have been practiced. It was like a detective who was calling a criminal on his well-planned bluff or lie.

"I feel nothing where you are, and yet I can hear and see you! Tell me, Kihara, what manner of sorcery are you using?"

"Don't suggest black magic in this city of technology." Kihara Bunshi sighed as he regarded his hands with a bemused expression. "This is merely a projection using electrical signals affected by my nerves to bend light. This is just a test, but it seems this form is completely inefficient for more than simply projecting an image and gathering information, like a video-telephone. I believe the sci-fi genre calls it a 'hologram'."

"Witchcraft!"

Kihara Bunshi shook his head back and forth as he pocketed his hands in his trench coat, showing every sign of intending to change the subject.

"So, Dimensional Slider, what do you think? Care to give me feedback on my latest experiment?"

"You dare?! You dare refer to this boy as nothing but 'your latest experiment' right in my face? Kihara Bunshi, you cannot possibly believe just how thin the ice beneath your feet is at this very moment! If you are not careful, you will walk right into the center of a freezing lake and will plunge to your death while never being the wiser!"

"Don't get me wrong; I wasn't talking about Chester. He was just an ongoing project. You haven't met the latest one."

Alexander was about to retort when Kihara Bunshi's words registered in his mind and he paused, curiosity getting the better of him. This was why they had kidnapped Last Order, wasn't it? He had just mentioned that he was testing what would happen if he used electrical signals to project himself. Could that mean…?

Kihara Bunshi didn't elaborate on his words, but he didn't need to. Oil seemed to begin to spill across the ground; at least, it looked like oil. A black liquid was drooling off the sides of the many horizontal capsules around Kihara Bunshi, as if they had been filling up the entire time and the capsules couldn't contain them all.

Since they came from each and every one, it seemed unlikely that Last Order could have been in any of them.

Had Chester Greene known this? Probably not, though it likely wouldn't have mattered even if he did. If he was ordered to, Alexander had no doubt that he would have protected an empty and meaningless room with his very life.

"You plan to treat me like an animal living on the beach shore?" Alexander asked casually without paying the black liquid much mind. "An oil spill won't do much to me."

"Perhaps not." Kihara Bunshi shrugged indifferently. "But this isn't oil."

That was the extent of any clarification he would give. The black liquid immediately began to move on its own, ignoring the laws of surface tension and gravity that were forced upon it by physics as the liquid appeared to gather together in the air, making a single ball of pure black. It felt as if one was looking in absolutely nothingness—it swallowed up even the light.

Was it psychokinesis? But Kihara Bunshi wasn't even truly present, nor was he even an esper. And Alexander could not feel anyone else nearby with his spatial cognizance.

Which means this thing was moving on its own using uncertain laws.

The large sphere of black began to pulsate slightly across its surface and Alexander grimaced as he focused on it.

Black crooked spires fired out like the legs of a bug, the tips sharp enough to skewer a reptile by piercing its scales.

Alexander instinctively distorted the dimensions around him to force the attack to miss completely, leaving him unharmed. It was a good way to carefully scout out the alien's abilities, seeing just how accurate and dangerous it may be.

The spires completely ignoring the presence of Alexander's distortion was unexpected. Alexander felt a jolt go through him as he saw that the spires had already passed the point where their trajectory and vectors should have changed without showing any sign of being affected. Alexander could only attempt to throw himself out of the way in order to avoid having his chest pierced and one of the spires slashed a pierce of his sweater vest and shirt from his side, letting blood drool from the shallow cut.

Even after the initial attack, the spires did not give up. They made a full ninety-degree turn without losing any momentum to chase after Alexander, forcing him to teleport several feet back to evade. However, the spires didn't show any hesitation in following.

It was likely that it was locking onto his power and bypassing them somehow, which meant teleporting the black liquid away would not be possible.

Alexander held his hand out as if to grab something in midair and the large spear of ice appeared before him, as if summoned. The black spires slammed into it without losing its speed and did something almost shocking.

The spires moved in convoluted directions as it _ate up the entire spear of ice_. Even though Alexander was only a few feet away, the ice spear suddenly became priority as the spires continued to eat the ice until absolutely nothing was left.

Alexander could only look on in horror as he witnessed the disturbing sight.

Once the spires were done with the ice spear, they immediately turned back to Alexander.

Alexander's eyes widened as they crossed the few feet between them in a matter of moments. He was still stunned by the sight, so he could only pull his head back as one of the spires seemed to reach out for his face, the sharp end barely a hair's breadth from the area between his eyes.

Then he found himself standing in a completely different corridor with the spire nowhere to be seen.

Alexander doubled over as he took a deep breath to settle his nerves, his eyes still wide with shock. He hadn't meant to teleport so far away like this. It was no different than running with your tail between your legs when faced with adversity.

But he hadn't been able to help it.

"This feeling…this deep sense of emptiness that pervades and freezes one's body…could it be 'fear'?"

Alexander cringed at the word. He was used to striking it into others and watching the feeling overcome them, but he was not accustomed to feeling it like this.

Anxiety, perhaps. He worried quite often. But never did he fear for his life like he did in that moment.

Even so, he could not let himself run away. That…thing was still in the building and it seemed to be under Kihara Bunshi's control. Anyone else in the building would be in danger of being targeted and it was doubtful that they would be able to escape like Alexander could. He was the only one who could figure out how to stop that black liquid with even a chance of survival at the moment.

If he left now, it would guarantee his life.

"I AM BLOOD AND THUNDER! I AM RIGHTEOUS FURY! I AM THE GHOST OF ACADEMY CITY! I shall not tremble at the ominous voice of death! If it wishes for me, it shall find me no matter where I hide! If so, it shall not find me quivering in bed, but laughing over the crumbled remains of the pedestals that I have crushed in my life time! For I am justice! For I am the lord of dimensions and the protector of earth! For I am…ALEXANDER TERRARIUM!"

Alexander's voice rang loudly and powerfully through the corridor, possibly reaching the ears of men who did not even know of his whereabouts. But it hardly mattered to Alexander. He was simply encouraging himself, since he would be heading back to find the black liquid regardless of whether or not he was afraid; if he weren't afraid, this would be less likely to be called bravery and more likely to be called suicidal.

He was not fueled by his pride or even interest. If it was that simple, he would smartly retreat right there. But his absence would bring about an unknown number of deaths and injuries. Just knowing that was enough to give him no choice in the matter.

And so Alexander vanished once more with fiery rage and embarrassment in his heart, propelling him toward the black jaws of an alien opponent.

* * *

"This is…bad."

Asuna murmured this aloud as she eyed all of the men who were surrounding her. She was in a terrible situation. It took all of her concentration to use her powers to catch every bullet that flew at her, swing several large chunks of earth as weapons, and make sure none of them got back into the facility while also making as much noise as possible to draw attention to her. She'd managed just fine at first, but any esper began to fatigue after extensive and indiscriminate use of their power. In addition, one's concentration tended to slip after several minutes of focusing—this was inevitable fact. When studying, you'd find you mind wandering if though you wanted to stay focused. The same was true for all forms of work. Asuna had to stay consciously aware of everything around her, which further ate away at her stamina.

What she didn't get was why there were so many of them. Why were there so many people on guard for this one facility? Was this really the place where the enemy resided? If so, she wouldn't be able to hold the entrance for much longer. Even after dropping a few of the large chunks of earth she was using to attack to prolong her mental stamina, she was still feeling the fatigue as her mind tried to slip away. Soon, she'd be unable to catch every bullet and would end up getting shot somewhere.

She really didn't want to get her clothes too dirty or bloodstained.

Shouldn't she just try to escape?

If she was just going to fall at some point anyways, at least she could try to escape to make them chase for a bit and ensure her own safety. But she was having problems figuring out how much time she had left and how much energy she would need to escape. And could she even escape such a big group properly? She hadn't been able to do more than incapacitate about an eight of the group.

How long had she been fighting? How much longer did the others need?

These thoughts rang through her head, further tiring her. Asuna felt herself startled by the loud sound of a gunshot, as if she'd been dozing off for a moment. She 'caught' the bullet in the air and dropped it immediately, not wishing to waste energy focusing too long on it as well. A large chunk of earth that she held in the air crashed into the earth where the man who fired was, but he easily moved out of the way before he could get hit. It was clear that Asuna's attacks were getting sluggish.

The men shooting at her noticed. They began to converge on her and pressure her more, timing their bullets at once to force her to focus on them all. They moved away in unison as she tried to shoo them away with her large chunks of earth and continued to barrage her. She wasn't going to last much longer.

"Honestly. Reckless people like you are everywhere. Don't you consider how we who end up responsible feel?"

An exasperated and somewhat pompous voice sounded through the air, causing Asuna some confusion. She was hardly able to register the hand that touched her shoulder and the sudden change of location.

What she did know was that her numb legs fell from underneath her in relief the moment she realized she was no longer at gun point.

"I don't know who you are," Asuna sighed as she took several deep breathes, leaning back slightly. "But thanks."

Shirai Kuroko tossed one ponytail over her shoulder indifferently as she turned her attention back to the gunmen. Their confusion only lasted a moment as they relocated their targets. It wasn't hard—Kuroko had only teleported them about a dozen meters away. The only reason the gunshots didn't reach the girls was because a wall of iron sand had been forced out of the ground and erected right before them like a shield.

Misaka Mikoto and Suigetsu Rumiho were both standing nearby, electricity sparking from the prior's bangs while static rolled up and down the wavy hair of the latter. Asuna noted the Tokiwadai uniform they all wore as well as the arm band Kuroko wore. However, her eyes stayed the longest on Misaka.

"Of all the people to show up, it's another level 5…and of all the level 5s…"

"It sounds like you're well aware of the situation, girl."

Rumiho spoke up before Misaka could respond with a confused comment to Asuna's muttering. Asuna turned her attention to Rumiho, who stood over her while leaning down to put her face close.

"Tell me. There is a child about this high with a face that greatly resembles this girl's, except a lot cuter. She should have been brought around here. Have you seen her?"

Asuna watched dully as Rumiho indicated the height by holding her palm horizontally in the air before point up toward Misaka. The disparity between the description that _might_ have been Misaka WORST and the way Asuna perceived her was far too great. Were they looking for someone else?

"I have absolutely no idea who you're talking about." Asuna replied truthfully as she stood up. "But she's probably inside this building. We came to retrieve someone else with a similar description."

"'Someone else'?" Rumiho muttered aloud as she let that sink in. Her thoughts were interrupted as a bullet ricocheted off of the iron sand, hitting the ground nearby.

"I don't mean to interrupt your engaging conversation, but it seems their movements are changing. More people are coming out of the building."

The others looked around to see this was true. The men who were shooting at them had begun to back up as more people poured out of the entrance to the facility, most of them wearing casual clothing, all of them armed. They seemed to be heading off in the different direction than toward the four, so they weren't back up. In fact, several of the people who had already been present were peeling off to head with the new group.

"Do you think they're trying to escape…?" Misaka murmured aloud as she frowned in confusion. Asuna merely watched on silently, just as unsure. Rumiho, on the other hand, immediately locked onto the short sleeping bag one of the men at the center of the group held tightly in his arms, as if it were precious cargo.

The length of the sleeping bag matched the height that she had archived into her memory for the rest of eternity.

"Shirai-san!"

Kuroko didn't even need to ask what it was. Seeing Rumiho's expression was enough. Kuroko immediately grabbed Rumiho's hand and reached out toward Misaka.

Misaka shook her head as bullets continued to shower the iron sand wall, attempting to shoot them through it.

"I'll hold off these guys! Go on without me!"

"Please be careful, Onee-sama!"

Kuroko could only trust in the third level 5. She hardly trusted the mysterious exhausted girl with the strangely stylish clothing to be left alone with her, but the situation was too dire to allow room for such pointless suspicion.

Misaka waited until Rumiho and Kuroko had vanished before she used her magnetic powers to send the iron sand flying forward like a whirlwind, blasting their attackers down like a bowling ball to pins. However, the range of the attack wasn't big enough hit all of them and the hole that was made in their ranks was soon closed up.

"Tch. There sure are a lot of them." Misaka sighed irritably as electricity being to crack from her bangs wildly. "I don't want to hurt them too badly."

"Don't worry about it. They're experienced. Just try your hardest to knock them down and make them stay down."

Asuna pushed herself up off of the ground to stand. She was a bit unsteady, but some color had returned to her face. She pressed a hand to her temple as she paused for a moment to allow her body to become steady.

"Don't give me that look." Asuna said as she saw Misaka's worried expression. "I've rested long enough to gain a few more minutes of fighting time. Besides, it was originally my job to handle these guys."

"Do what you want; just don't complain if I take down too many."

"Believe me; I'm not going to whine about it."

* * *

...

And so the climax approaches. As Alexander would have said, were he with the girls; "Last Order; Locked On!"

In any case, these chaotic events have yet to even begin to subside. A scenario I've been nesting for ages will be realized in due time-I can hardly wait. But before then, I suppose it's best to have several twists to help the story along, eh? Anyhow, I just couldn't help dragging Misaka into the chaos. She ends up getting involved in unrelated things almost as much as Kamijou, except for shorter periods of time while never finding out what's going on...poor girl.

Next time; it's Judgment!


	17. XVII) Judgment!

Things had already begun to get out of hand.

Before they could start the experimenting, someone had suddenly started attacking the facility, practically knocking on their front door. While the brunt of the facility's forces were lured outside and held there, two girls infiltrated and dealt with the rest of the forces inside before facing one of the hired espers.

Meanwhile, _another_ person who got in somehow through an unknown method had defeated the other hired esper—or so that was the theory. With no response to their calls, it was the only conclusion they could come to.

The experiment had been rushed and the results were sent for testing against whoever this unknown figure who snuck in was. And immediately afterword, all of them were ordered to escape if they valued their lives. Heading straight to the vehicles camouflaged near the facility, they were to reach a new point with the girl they had kidnapped.

In other words, things were a bit stressful for the security division of the facility along with the subordinates from REGULA. The researcher who'd had been put 'in charge' of things was especially annoyed.

Getting drop kicked by a small twin-tailed girl did not brighten his day at all.

"Halt, you filthy curs. This is Judgment!"

Shirai Kuroko proclaimed this aloud as she stood on the unconscious body of the researcher, displaying her armband to them. Her only response, of course, was a slew of guns pointed at her. She immediately teleported out of the way to avoid the gunshots at the last second. At the same time, Suigetsu Rumiho, who had teleported with Kuroko, rushed forward and slammed into the man holding the small sleeping bag. A loud _crack_ sounded along with a short spark, which knocked the man to the ground like a log. Rumiho picked up the sleeping back in her arms and peeked inside to confirm Last Order's sleeping face.

"Ah~ The girl looks so peaceful asleep. It almost makes me envious."

"Suigetsu! Pay attention!"

Kuroko called out loud as one of the man approached from behind, intending to grab her. Another loud _crack_ resounded and the man collapsed to the ground with a heavy thud.

"It will take more than some man to rip this child from my arms." Rumiho assured with a dangerous look in her eyes. "Anyone who wishes to touch a single hair on her head will feel the wrath of my 'Static Shock'!"

The men hesitated for a moment before they began to converge on Rumiho from all sides. It seemed that they valued their orders more than the threat of being shocked violently. Rumiho's grip on the sleeping bag tightened as she prepared to use her power, the ferocity of a lioness protecting her cub surfacing on her glare.

Kuroko, however, had different plans.

"You need to run, Suigetsu! Hide with the child until it is safe! If you're taken down and she is taken, all of this would have been for naught!"

Rumiho hesitated for a moment before nodding in agreement. The safety of Last Order came before her fury—that much she could agree do. So she shut off her static electricity to allow Kuroko to touch her and teleport her somewhere where the men couldn't follow her too.

"Don't let them get away!" The researcher yelled as he pushed himself off of the ground. "I'll have all of your heads served on a platter if she is not retrieved! Last Order is essentially to our plans!"

A single metal rod embedded itself in the ground right next to the man's face, making him cringe horribly. Kuroko held several more rods up between her knuckles as she glared at the researcher.

"I will not allow a boor who scoffs at the rules and law to lay a hand on an innocent child."

The rods pinned the researcher's lab coat to the ground, preventing him from moving and striking enough fear into him to keep him silent. Kuroko had hoped (even though it was a small, vain hope) that the men would back down after seeing their supposed leader pinned down and silenced, but they showed no sign of hesitation as they turned their attention to the young member of Judgment. In fact, with Rumiho now no longer there to shock them, they seemed a little relieved as they grabbed at Kuroko, attempting to pin her down.

Though it didn't return to how it was before, their alarm raised as soon as Kuroko knocked two men unconscious with her self-defense martial arts almost at the same time. Even as one man tried to get around behind her to pin her arms at her side with a bear hug, Kuroko easily teleported out of his grip and knocked him out as well with a judo throw.

The moment the first gun sounded was a moment predicted by Kuroko and she evaded by teleporting without even turning to see who was shooting, placing herself several feet away. Had she waited even a moment, she likely would have head a bullet embedded somewhere in her body.

"Pulling guns on an unarmed girl? Honestly…the lowborn have no sense of shame whatsoever."

Kuroko muttered spitefully as the men all aimed their hand guns at her. She didn't like the way they so easily outnumbered her. Even with her teleportation, they'd be able to get a few shots with her if she wasn't careful. Even if she used one person as a human shield, they would be able to shoot from multiple directions at once with their numbers in order to reach her.

She'd been in situations like this before, but she had had someone beside her who was capable of scattering the enemy to prevent them from encircling and using their numbers properly. If she had Misaka Mikoto, or even Kongou Mitsuko, with her now, the danger level would drop dramatically.

But Misaka Mikoto was busy and Kongou Mitsuki was living her peaceful life elsewhere, as she rightly should have been.

This frustrating fact was soon broken by a flying ball of fire about the size of a baseball that flew into the ranks of men like a fire cracker, exploding with more heat and light than actual dangerous flames. Nevertheless, it was forceful enough to send several men sprawling with light burns. Even those that weren't close enough to be blinded by the light were still stunned by this sudden development, including Kuroko.

"You're all under arrest for assault, trespassing, and attempted murder, among other crimes! Drop your weapons and come quietly!"

Kuroko's savior was a young man with shaggy black hair and a small goatee on his chin that made him look older than he was. He wore a leather jacket, jeans, and sneakers, but his posture was contrary to his somewhat thuggish clothing. He looked as if he was standing at attention, probably instinctively from training that had been engraved in his body.

He nodded politely when he caught Kuroko's eye, smiling slightly.

"It's been a while. Mind if I help?"

Kuroko continued to appraise the seventeen-year-old quietly, trying to figure out why he was speaking to her like an old acquaintance. She did not feel even the vaguest sense of déjà vu.

"Excuse me, but…have we met before?"

"Don't you remember? A long time ago, you stopped me while me and my gang were trying to rob a bank. You lectured me about how I had given up on trying to become stronger. Then the whole thing with the Level Upper happened, and…well, some more things happened, so now I'm part of Judgment as well."

Kuroko vaguely remembered something like that happening around the time she introduced Misako Mikoto to her colleague, Uiharu Kazari, and her colleague's friend, Saten Ruiko. But…

"That happened?"

"I'm Okahara Ryouta!"

The man introduced himself by name and Kuroko's eyes widened slightly, but not in recognition to the name. One of the men had recovered from his surprise from the sudden appearance of the man and was now aiming his gun at him.

"Watch out!"

Kuroko's warning came before she even remembered she could teleport over to him to teleport him out of safety. But that turned out to not even be necessary. Okahara Ryouta dropped to the ground instinctively as the gun fired, evading the potentially deadly bullet, and he raised his right hand up at his side. A glowing ball of fire about the size of a baseball manifested over his palm and he threw it like he was pitching from an awkward position. The ball of flames slammed into the man's chest nonetheless and exploded with heat and light once more. The force of the attack knocked the man onto his back, knocking him out as sparks showered onto his nearby colleagues, setting their clothes of fire.

After seeing it again, Kuroko was able to guess what was happening. He was a pyrokinetic, obviously, but didn't intend on hurting this men too badly. Okahara Ryouta had found a way to convert most of the energy in the fireballs into light and force, as well as sound, so that the flames themselves would not engulf their targets and eat away at them like a wildfire, essentially controlling the output and results. The control was admittedly impressive and worthy of praise.

"I'm still a level 3, but after rigorous training, I managed to learn some new tricks, rather than just throwing my attacks around." Okahara Ryouta grinned as he pushed himself back onto his feet and came to stand by Kuroko's side. "But I'll gloat later. Shirai Kuroko of Judgment 177 Branch Office, I request permission to fight alongside you, senpai!"

Okahara Ryouta made the request with a surprising level of politeness and even saluted as he stood erect. It was clear that he had taken training very seriously and was even going overboard. Was this really the same delinquent Kuroko had beat up so long ago?

"Very well." Kuroko sighed as she scratched her head impatiently. Senpai? This guy was a high school student whereas Kuroko was a middle school student. But they didn't have time to be worrying about this kind of things. The other men had recovered from the sudden fire attacks and were preparing to fire their guns. "So long as you don't get in the way. Rather; your fireballs may prove helpful."

"It would be my pleasure to help you senpai."

The two instinctively went back to back to face the opponents surrounding them. Kuroko held up the brief case that she'd brought with her, opening it and pulled out a long and extensive version of the straps around her thighs, carrying countless metal rods to increase her supply of ammo, similar to a 'commando-style' soldier wearing magazine clips over his body. Okahara grinned, breaking his disciplined posture slightly as he held up his right hand and another fire ball erupted from his palm.

They both faced the men aiming guns at them, their confidence in their esper powers apparent through their composure as the spoke their next words at once.

"This is Judgment!"

Rumiho Suigetsu sighed as sat comfortably in the limousine's seat. Kuroko had conveniently teleported her right outside the perimeter of where the fighting was going on, where a driver had been waiting. Upon seeing her suddenly appear, rather than freaking out, he'd called her over and asked about the situation. After Rumiho explained the situation, the two quickly came to the conclusion that they were on the same side.

Apparently, the driver had assumed that she had been sent out by a different teleport-type esper, though Rumiho didn't really care about that misunderstanding. She was too busy being happy that she had successfully recovered Last Order.

What Rumiho didn't understand was why those men had taken such a bold move as to run out into the open. The driver explained that three espers were currently inside the facility, most likely creating a big commotion. There must not have been anywhere to hide within the facility, so they had hoped for the slim chance of escape and had run into the open.

Whatever the chances of that working out were was uncertain, but the attempt had clearly failed. It just didn't feel right to Rumiho. No matter how long she stared at Last Order's peaceful face, her relief was still countered by a small bit of anxiety.

It was almost as if they had wanted to be caught, for some reason.

Rumiho blinked in confusion. It had only been for a moment, but she could have sworn that Last Order's face had flickered for a moment, like a television screen glitching. Had her powers unconsciously activated in her sleep? Could that even happen?

In fact, considering all of the chaos that she'd been dragged through, how could she even sleep so peacefully?

"Tch. I figured this might've happened. Just what is that idiot doing?"

Rumiho gave a start as her eyes widened. She hadn't heard the owner of that callous voice approach the limousine, passing by the open window she was beside to glance in briefly.

Rumiho looked around just in time to see a figure as thin as a stick limping away with posture that pretty much radiated with irritation.

"Since that hero isn't here, I guess this former villain's got to do something to save that idiot. Just stay here—I'll make it quick."

* * *

...

The plan is all but bare. The pieces are set, and the climax has begun. In other words, the ending for the first part of this saga is visible in the horizon. I'll say this now; this is merely the first part of the story. There is more to come. There has been a lot of focus on combat in this part, but I'm planning for the next part to be focused more on mystery and strategy, as well as integrating canon characters more deeply into the story.

I've taken the liberty to add some character development to a canon character who will probably never make another canon appearance, i.e. Okahara Ryouta. I kind of liked him, despite his short appearance. The science side needs more...fire.

In any case, look forward the Alexander's retribution in the next chapter. Till then!


	18. XVIII) Ego Eater

Kyouko Sakuya smiled with self-satisfaction as she cuddled a chrome suitcase she carried along with her, practically skipping through the halls. After much effort that involved subduing several peons and interrogating them without mercy, she had finally gotten someone to lead her to where her stolen money was. She had then proceeded to knock him out and run off gleefully. She had done it mostly due to her excited tantrum at finally recovering her hard earned money, rather than actual prudency, though.

In fact, though she moved quickly, she had absolutely no idea where she was whatsoever.

"I wonder if I should just force my way out with my ability~?" Sakuya hummed genially as she spun lightly on the heel of her foot. "No, that wouldn't do~ I might end up forcing the entire building to cave in while Tomoe is fighting. I wonder if I'll run into her by continuing to wander? …I bet Asuna will be thrilled to hear I got the money back! She acts all indifferent, but no one is heartless or selfless enough to not care about money! Maybe I should just bust through after all. It's not like Tomoe will mind—eh? Huh?"

Sakuya stopped moving just as she had raised her hand to activate her esper power. She looked up in time to see a sleek black needle sticking through her hand, right through her palm.

"Wha—what the hell?!"

She slid her hand painfully off of the black needle and backed away quickly as blood immediately began drooling from the wound. But she ignored it as she focused on the cause of the attack. Her eyes widened in shock at the horrific sight before her.

A sphere of pure black appeared to hover in the air ahead of her in the hallway, having approached without making a sound. A single needle had sprouted from its surface and had stabbed into her hand, though she didn't understand why.

_Is this another one of Kihara Bunshi's 'experiments'? _Sakuya wondered to herself as she grimaced. The strange sphere gave her goosebumps just looking at it. She had no desire to approach it in close quarters to see what it was. She just knew that she wanted to get rid of it.

So she immediately compressed the air before them to create a thick wall that could even muffle sound. With every moment that the air was compressed, it became more and more dense, which allowed more air to flow into Sakuya's range to be compressed as well, increasing density and thickness. So the amount of time she spend compressing the air became proportional to the size and strength of the subsequent explosion once she released her hold on the compressed air.

Ten seconds would be more than enough to blow away anything not bolted to the ground by heavy bolts or stuck with an adhesive stronger than super glue. A floating object would be helpless to resist the force of the winds.

But Sakuya did not even get the chance to prepare for an entire second.

Sakuya felt the air she was compressing release abruptly as several black spires shot from the sphere toward her, as if they were fired from cross bows. She let out an unwilling gasp as she realized immediately that her ability was useless.

So she reflexively released what remained of her compressed air at them moment to send a forceful blast of air that sent her flying back instead, letting her gain several meters between her and where she'd been standing before. The spires crashed into that spot without slowing down for even a moment in a merciless.

Sakuya immediately summoned several layers of air walls around her body as she landed on the ground, intending to guard against subsequent attacks. Sure enough, the spires flew directly at her mercilessly, crossing the distance between them as if it were nothing. However, this time Sakuya was not as confident that she'd be able to block with a shield that could handle cannon fire. She'd have to dodge in a small space within the corridor, which would be extremely disadvantageous.

Sakuya had just prepared herself to jump out of the way when a wall abruptly appeared before her.

The spires of black substance crashed into the wall without bothering to try and turn or stop, but they did not ram through as easily as they had her wall of air. Sakuya could only breathe in relief as she stumbled for a moment, falling onto her knees.

"Thank god." She murmured aloud in a shaky voice. "I would have been dead in the moment right after I dodge with nowhere else to run to. You saved my life, Alex."

Sakuya looked up gratefully, but her thankful smile froze awkwardly as she saw the trembling shoulders of the young man standing before her. Alexander was pinching the bridge of his nose as a strange grin spread across his face.

"This is most troubling." He muttered to no one in particular. Sakuya sighed as she gathered her case with her good hand, gripping it firmly. "I had not noticed earlier, but when faced with such an opponent, my innate powers bloom. Is this truly such a worthy opponent…?"

"Look, Alex." Sakuya frowned at him from behind. "You're an interesting individual—we all get that. But can you just teleport us out of here now? I think I saw my life flash before my eyes just then and I don't want to see the ending any time soon."

"Then brace yourself, my dear affiliate. We must do 'that', so avoid using your powers and watch until I give the signal."

Sakuya blinked in surprise. 'That'? Was he really planning to use 'that' on a glob of black liquid? She would have asked, but she could tell by the resolved and excited expression on his face that he was being absolutely serious.

"Prepare yourself." Alexander gave that simple warning as he held his palm out and a single vial appeared in his hand. Almost immediately, black liquid began to seep in through the sides around the wall. After a few moments of acting like a normal liquid, the black substance immediately shot out like extended needles, all aiming to pierce Alexander's hand and the vial, only to miss him by an entire second as he vanished and reappeared several feet away.

The black substance immediately branched and made ninety-degree turns to redirect their aim toward the spot where Alexander had reappeared. But by the time they did, the esper had already relocated.

This process continued multiple times in the span of just a few second. As a teleport-type esper, Alexander bridged himself in his speed. By instantaneously moving from place to place, he could out speed any physical reflexes with his mental reflexes, as the brain comprehended everything before it could even send the signals to the muscles to move.

Under normal circumstances, Alexander's level of power was only 4. He could teleport any person or object around him instantaneously along with himself, which was already bordering the realm of level 5. But for a reason beyond most people's understand, Alexander's power raised when faced with stronger opponents. When attacked by an esper at level 3 or 4, he gained the ability to manipulate the surrounding dimensions to distort aim. But when faced with dangers beyond that, he found himself capable of utilizing a few more techniques involving the physics behind teleportation.

But his greatest weakness was that he could use these abilities _only_ when faced with such danger. The rules were difficult to list concretely, but there were some general lines that would have to be crossed to give way to his more decisive abilities.

Perhaps it would be more appropriate to say that he, who wielded such an uncommon type of esper ability, had the majority of his power _sealed by his own subconscious_ under normal circumstances. Mostly likely, it was due to his ego and self-proclaimed status as a special sort of hero.

It goes without saying, but finding someone who posed a greater danger than a level 4 esper was not exactly common. The level 5s along with some other dangerous people in the dark side came to mind, but he wasn't going to pick fights with them for no reason.

In other words, gaining access to the hidden abilities within his brain was a rare commodity for him.

That was why he smiled so brilliantly.

"Such an opponent is less interesting to face than even a soul-less cyrokinetic, but such a rare chance cannot be overlooked! Be proud, you formless collection of some unknown matter, for the AIM you seek to feed on today is one as of yet understood!"

Alexander continued to vanish abruptly even as he spoke, evading the attacking spires of black. Though he appeared to be randomly jumping through space, he was really leading the spires on. He finally waited half a second before teleporting to make the evasion even closer, allowing the spires to crash into the wall he'd teleported there earlier. The impact sent cracks through it and debris began to rain on the spires, though they ignored it.

"Vanish, filthy creation of my nemesis!"

Alexander swung his hand out and the larger pieces of the debris found themselves embedded within the main body of the black substance. However, the substance easily separated itself like water to allow the debris to pass through it indifferently as it continued to attack Alexander. But Alexander didn't lose heart after seeing this. In fact, his smile grew.

"Let's try this, shall we?"

Alexander spoke the words despite knowing his opponent could not make sense of them as he raise his hands out with his palms upward—a meaningless pose that was not necessary for the action he performed. The air was suddenly filled with several dozens of what appeared to be large marbles that seemed to have come out of nowhere. Alexander continued to grin as the spires continued to fly directly at him.

"Now is the time, my comrade!"

Sakuya clicked her tongue at Alexander's obvious 'signal'. Normally, one would expect something more subtle, though that didn't seem to be necessary with this sort of an enemy.

Sakuya compressed the air in front of her as well as the air on the other side of the corridor, trapping Alexander and the black substance together between two inescapable walls of solid air. For most espers, this would be a death wish.

However, Alexander only continued to grin as the marbles hit the ground before the spire could reach him.

The corridor was abruptly filled with blinding light that stunned Sakuya. A minor shockwave shook within the walls she had formed, but she knew that none of the two monsters inside would be defeated—maybe not even harmed—by that.

As if to confirm her theory, the light died down to display the results.

Alexander held a large gourde that looked like the sort typically attributed to Sun Wukong and other figures that drank saké on the go. It was sealed tight with a cork and wax, as if it had never been opened. Due to the lack of black substance nearby, Sakuya could only assume that he had somehow managed to put it into the gourde.

What she didn't get was how.

Even as she replayed the last events, she could not make sense of it. She'd simply gone through with 'that' plan; sealing Alexander and his opponent up in one spot as he blew up the air with special marble-like bombs. Alexander had a habit of keeping everything useful within the range of his ability for cases like these—a good trait for someone who consistently only kept one foot in the dark side.

"That thing…" Sakuya began slowly as she pointed one finger at the gourde. "It's not in there, is it?"

"Heh." Alexander grinned as he straightened his tie with one hand. "I can see your confusion, my dear. Shall I explain everything to you in detail? My brilliant plan ended in a single instant, so I suppose it may have been a little too fast to keep up with even for the observation skills of my dear comrade."

"No…I just want to confirm if it's really in the gourde—"

"First, allow me to clarify one thing—This black liquid is a specially design liquid that reacts to AIM. As all espers emit AIM, it naturally reacts and forms together when we are near. However, once we use our powers, it is attracted like a powerful magnet. It also carries properties that allow it to 'eat' AIM, which gives it such a dangerous and deadly nature. Truly, it is the bane of all espers. It is no wonder I had full access to my abilities—even I would have been standing with one foot in my grave had my plan failed."

"What exactly did you _do?"_

"Those bombs I used have a weak amount of AIM. The explosions would do nothing against the liquid that would reform immediately, but I had to use them in great quantity in order to ensure I got the desired affect—which was to distract this black liquid from me, who was no longer moving with teleportation. That, along with your walls of air, served its purpose, which allowed me to get close and attempt to teleport the liquid into this gourde."

Alexander held the gourde up triumphantly like it was a spoil of war—which it technically was. Sakuya frowned at it skeptically as he shook it slightly and she heard a sloshing noise.

"You teleported it?"

"Naturally, it ate right through my esper power, so I could only teleport it a short distance—that was the whole point of getting close."

"And what is keeping it from breaking out of the gourde right now and killing you?"

"Do not fret, my dear. I am prepared, as always."

Alexander held up the vial he had teleported into his hand earlier. Had he teleported it into his hand earlier just for the sake of this explanation? Sakuya wouldn't put it past him.

"A specific laboratory inspects my powers and keeps track of it, testing its limitations and such in great detail. In an attempt to block my power, they created a film using the formula within this vial that blocks out AIM waves. It does not work to its full potential, but when you line an object with it, it becomes possible to block out subconscious AIM waves, even the ones that constantly hang over Academy City. Right now, this liquid is in one of the very few places untouched by esper powers by default…hehe. Explaining the case after its resolution is quite amusing. It's as if I am Sherlock Holmes, except a bit more 'hands-on', so to speak."

"…I can't believe you thought this far ahead." Sakuya shook her head in disbelief. "Are you even human?"

"That's debatable. But I didn't plan all this until about five minutes ago."

"Fi—then what took you so long to find me?! I've been running around lost—albeit happily so—for who knows how long!"

"I had to return to my home in order to retrieve the gourde, of course. Even my ability has limits, my dear. It is only natural that I would have to put any objects I may need during a fight within my teleportation range before the actual fight."

In other words, he'd just left and come back. It was like he had walked out of the darkness of Academy City freely to get his rain coat before walking back in willingly without hesitating. If Sakuya didn't have her case of money to comfort her like a stress ball, she might have strangled the level 5.

"Stay sharp, my comrade! There is no time to rest yet! I just received a call from Asuna, and it seems trouble has arisen."

"…What are you talking about now?"

"Supposedly, the grunts tried to escape with Last Order in hand. However, I doubt they'd just let some insignificant peons run off with such an important girl in plain sight. We must inspect on this further."

"W-Wait; Last Order?! I thought we were here for Misaka Worst! Hey! Tell me what is going on!"

"Cull your tongue—lest I remove it for you—and follow me, my comrade! We have an innocent clone to rescue as a side quest!"

* * *

...

Ah, Alexander. So many complications with one character. I should point out how awkward it feels to make him such a prominent character. I'll make an example out of it later on, but I feel he's really out of character when he takes the initiative like this. That, plus the severe circumstances with his ability-I've got an entire backstory planned for him that I've only hinted at so far, but I can't decide when I'll be able to properly explain it all. I suppose I'll say this now; there is a link between him, Kihara Bunshi, and Chester Greene.

Next time, a question will be answered while more questions pop up. The next chapter will be up sooner than this was, so look forward to it.


	19. XIX) Subzero

Chester Green sighed audibly, though it didn't technically have enough—or, rather, _any—_emotion behind it to really be a 'sigh'. It was more like he was breathing out heavily simply to relax his body in a practical manner.

He should have sighed, though. Anyone would be relieved after being so close to dying and surviving by pure coincidence.

This was not referring to Alexander Terrarium's seemingly merciless attempt to put the boy out of his misery. Chester knew that the grenade had merged with his skin and had exploded where it was, sending shrapnel directly in his body. Using the vectors of teleportation, the grenade had overlapped with his own body and 'pushed' aside the preexisting matter, as two objects cannot exist in the same spot. Although, the grenade itself had appeared in a more or less harmless spot that would only leave a hole in his body that could be healed without even leaving a scar, using Academy City's technology. The explosion, however, was a different story entirely. It should have wrecked his organs and pierced his lungs and his heart without mistake. No amount of luck could have helped that fact.

However, such a tragic situation had somehow been avoided. The explosion rent his flesh, creating a large gap in his side and the shrapnel that flew outward ripped gashes into his skin underneath his many layers of clothing. But the shrapnel that should have entered his body had simply…disappeared.

Many possibilities ran through Chester's head, but he already knew the answer.

That ghost was determined to save him, even if not at that immediate moment.

Chester was not the sort to question things unnecessarily. Since he was alive, he'd proceeded to freezing his wounds shut before he passed out from the pain.

Upon waking up, he'd found himself in the very same room, alone. What had been lucky was the fact that the black liquid that had been inside the capsules had decidedly ignored him. It had been busy attacking Alexander and eating through the 'hologram' of Kihara Bunshi, so it had saved Chester for last. Since the cyrokinetic esper was unconscious by the time the other two had been dealt with, it did not attack him. Perhaps it could be considered lucky that the black liquid was not sensitive enough to target anything 'active' AIM.

Either way, Chester was currently the safest he'd been in a while. He was supposed to be dead—a plan that was foiled inadvertently by Alexander—and so he had no further use in Kihara Bunshi's plan. This also meant he had no orders for what he should do now.

Chester calmly and carefully took off all of his layers of clothing to inspect his wounds as he considered deeply. He did not know where Kihara Bunshi currently was. The only other member of REGULA currently present was Yomi Tadakatsu, but he was just here to do whatever the scientists asked of him as a bodyguard. He wouldn't have any orders to pass onto Chester. Nor would the scientists or grunts from REGULA. In a way, Chester was the most highly ranked person here.

Besides, the entire facility would no longer be there soon enough, if the rest of the plan was still unchanged. It was unlikely that Yomi Tadakatsu was meant to live much longer either. Either that, or he was meant to escape, though Chester couldn't imagine what might spur that man to abandon his mission.

This brought a choice to Chester Greene; should he remain were he was and die like he was supposed to, but in a different way, or should he escape and find a purpose elsewhere?

He had no bias to help this decision, so he could not decide.

Chester suspected that this was the glaring weakness of lacking any emotions that Alexander had been getting at. Logic and reason still needed bias to help guide it along. Or else you wouldn't even have a reason to do the logical thing even if you figured out what it was.

Just like a moving object would not change directions, accelerate, or decelerate without the external factors of friction, gravity, etc., Chester could not go down crossroads without someone or something spurring him to go down either path, regardless of whether the sign were labeled 'Heaven' and 'Hell'.

"Huh? There is a person here! Misaka exclaims as Misaka shudders from the sudden drop in temperature!"

This cheerful voice took Chester by surprise. He quickly pulled on his many layers of clothing and just managed to pull on his trench coat (ignoring the blood stain on it) as he looked around.

A small girl wearing a dress was hurrying over with an excited smile on her face, her ahoge bouncing with her movement. She seemed unnaturally small in the empty chrome corridor that seemed bigger than it really was due to its empty and clean appearance.

Chester's eyes widened as recognized this child.

"Do not worry! Misaka will save you from the enemy territory! Misaka promises as Misaka holds a fist out with pride! Just follow Misaka and you will be safe in no time!"

Last Order was supposed to have escaped already. The plan was to use a decoy to trick the intruders while Yomi Tadakatsu helped the real Last Order escape, handing her off to some men who would bring her to the next facility.

If she was here, that meant Yomi was either preoccupied with something else or had been defeated.

If that was the case, the men would have come in after the appointed time had passed in order to retrieve the girl themselves.

Since she was no longer asleep in the room specially made for her, it was clear that the men had come and had gotten as far as freeing her. But, somehow, she had escaped. Which meant those men were no longer able to bring the girl to the facility—a place only they had the information about.

This was not part of the plan. Nor was Chester's survival.

Two deviations had met by coincidence to create an even bigger deviation.

This coincidence gave Chester the bias he needed to choose a crossroad.

"Last Order, come with me. As you know, this place is dangerous. We'll find a safe place to stay before deciding on our next course of action."

"Misaka already said that! Misaka yells indignantly while she swings her arms madly. Misaka will save _you!"_

Rather than arguing, Chester merely nodded and followed her through the corridor. He didn't really mind who she thought was saving who—so long as they escaped.

Little did he know, she was saving him just as much as he was saving her.

Through interpretation of orders, he'd turned from an antagonist to an ally of sorts.

This would not the first or last time such a coincidence would happen.

* * *

...

Writing things from the point of view from a character with no emotions or bias feels easy, but it's a little dangerous, too. I had to reread this one a few times to make sure my_ own_ bias didn't affect Chester too much, or else the mood would be ruined. It's like a robot, yet clearly different...

Anyways, Alexander is returning to his natural habitat for the remainder of the story, keep an eye out for subtle events where cause and effect seem strange. It's probably Academy City's ghost working his magic from the shadows.

Look forward to seeing Biribiri and an interesting idea in the next chapter.


	20. XX) Rampant Storm

Misaka Mikoto was irritated.

The fact that she had been dragged into this unusually dangerous situation didn't make matters any better, but she didn't really care too much for that.

Her thoughts were filled with the face of a certain idiot.

Not too long ago, she'd forced herself on him in order to go to Hawaii with him. All sorts of things had happened, so she couldn't really look at it under a romantic setting. Even so, she hadn't been able to bring herself to tell her best friend, Shirai Kuroko, about it. Nor anyone else, for that matter. That was why the twin-tailed member of Judgment was still harboring the idea that this certain idiot was either lost somewhere in the ocean or gone for good, and causing Misaka quite a bit a worry and anxiety.

But Misaka's thoughts did not drift off because she was still wondering how she could have saved that idiot, even if that thought still floated through her head every once in a while when she daydreamed.

_You and I are heading down the same path. Don't forget it._

Misaka had said those words to that idiot without properly thinking, but she didn't regret them. She had meant them with all her soul.

So what did it mean now that the idiot had gone off somewhere without her?

She had a basic idea of where he had gone, but she couldn't bring herself to follow him. He'd left despite the fact that she'd serious said she would go with him.

Maybe all of what was going on now was some sort of punishment for her?

"Hey Railgun, what are you spacing out for?"

Suzuha Asuna asked curiously as she sent a barrage of rocks flying into the crowd of men with all her force, managing to knock out a few as the rocks connected with their temples.

Aiming for particular spots with her ability was difficult, since it was really meant to make physical objects 'float', but Asuna was proud of her skill from lots of practice made necessary in her line of work.

Misaka blinked as she returned from her reverie, sending a wave of iron sand through the air to defend against the gunshots that rang through the air. Normally, she'd have been fed up with this all long ago and would have gone on a small rampage to vent her frustration. Did the recent dullness of her rage mean something?

Misaka was just starting to decide on a way to respond to Asuna's question when she spotted something that caught her off guard.

Something had appeared among the crowd of men.

It had not been there a moment before. She had only blinked once and it had appeared in that split second.

It was a pillar that stood about twelve meters into the air. Near the top, just about three meters below the tip, a seven meter long pillar stuck out horizontally.

This gave it the appearance of a cross of sorts.

It had no other special characteristics than that.

"Wha-" Several of the men whipped around in surprise as they noticed the strange object as well, completely taken aback by it. At the same time, the ground beneath them began to glow with a bright white light that was almost blinding to look at directly. The next thing they knew, half of the men were nowhere to be seen.

"They…disappeared?" Asuna murmured in awe as she witnessed the phenomena numbly. The hands she had gripped into fists loosened as she temporarily stopped thinking. "But…how?"

The first thing that Misaka thought of was the strange supernatural phenomena she had witnessed in some occasions before—especially Hawaii. It was probably because she had been thinking of that idiot just a moment before, though. She had no sooner come to that possibility when the tall cross vanished from sight, only to reappear amidst the latter half of the men.

It happened so suddenly, none of the men could properly react. Misaka, on the other hand, was able to witness it all from a third person perspective. The ground wasn't lighting up. The air seemed to distort ever so slightly, which probably refracted the light to make it seem like it was lighting up. And now that she was paying attention, she could see that it had a maximum radius of approximately five meters with the vertical pillar as its center, creating a circle around it. Everyone within range disappeared in a familiar manner that made Misaka slightly ashamed for having mistaken it for something else at first.

"…It's teleporting them away."

"What? Teleporting? But that's not an esper! Are you saying that there is technology that can use esper powers?!"

"Only human beings can use esper powers due to the theory with quantum mechanics! I don't really get it either, but how else can you explain it? That thing is probably on their side and was sent to transport them to safety."

There was, in fact, a project to reproduce esper powers—particularly the level 5s. Five_Over, which used cutting edge technology to imitate the powers of the level 5s. A mecha-like machine that could fire a gatling railgun. Bacteria that could cause illusions and manipulate minds. The methods varied, using whatever was necessary to get the desired result.

This may have been the result of attempting to reproduce a certain teleporting esper's abilities.

Even if they had realized that possibility, they wouldn't have believed it all too easily. What they saw with their eyes was a simple cross made from two heavy looking pillars. They didn't know what had been used to build them, nor what was inside of the pillars, but they couldn't see anything that would help them understand just how it was teleporting objects and people without using the same concept as teleport-type espers.

Even if they cast aside the idea that it was teleporting, it was still technically moving at high speeds with an impressive range. They were in danger no matter how they looked at it.

Even from their distance, their chests still tightened as they stared at it. With no characteristics that implied any consciousness or awareness, it still appeared to move and make decisions as if it had a brain. No emotion, no perceived loyalties, not even any basis for logic.

It gave one an eerie feeling of a feasible possibility for an alien.

The cross paid no mind to them, however. It instantly appeared near the facility, towering over it like a skyscraper beside a one story home. The light spread out beneath it once more, lighting up the ground within ten meters. Just a moment later, a portion of the facility disappeared, almost as if it ceased to exist. A few moments later, a loud crashed echoed not too far away, soon followed by a breeze with a light amount of dust in it, causing the girls' chests to tighten slightly once more.

It was destroying the facility by teleporting chunks of it in the air and letting it drop.

But why would it do that? The people had already evacuated, so it couldn't have been targeting anyone. Was it just destroying the facility? But unless it did something with the destroyed debris, any evidence it tried to hide would simply be salvaged with ease, albeit in a broken state. Even so, there were all sorts of ways to restore broken objects, and things might even serve a purpose while broken.

In short, did this cross-shaped machine lack any sense? Was its AI malfunctioning?

"Crap…" Asuna muttered as she punched the ground with all her might. The soft dirt prevented her from damaging her knuckles, but she didn't seem to care either way. Her jaw was set as a look of panic filled her face. "They're still in there! They'll be crushed!"

"'They'…You mean there are still people in there?!"

Misaka's eyes widened in surprise just as another loud crash sounded in their ears. Apparently, whatever logic that cross was using had brought it to the conclusion that dropping the chunks of the facility it teleported onto the facility itself would be more efficient than simply dropping it anywhere.

"My friend and some other girl should still be in there, and maybe even the one we're looking for; though I doubt it." Asuna spoke through her teeth as she struggled to contain herself. She was clearly too worried to remain casually calm. "They would have come to get me if they'd left already, and one of them is searching for something they'd sooner die than leave behind."

"Do they have a way of getting out?"

"Not if they're trying to escape a teleporting machine. That melodramatic bastard might be around to help, but he's so random, there is no telling what he'll do."

Which meant there were definitely two girls left in the facility. They'd be crushed if nothing was done.

Misaka took a deep breath to soothe her nerves.

She knew what it was like to be unable to save a person. She had no intention of finding out what it was like to be able to save a person but chose not to.

"OOOOORRRRRAAAAAHHHHH!"

Misaka yelled at the top of her lungs as she charged forward on her own two legs, holding one hand up over her head. Electricity exploded around her body, surrounding her almost like armor. Asuna felt her arms pop and she blinked as Misaka swung her arm down, sending a bolt of electricity flying at the cross.

Even though she was unsure of how exactly it was teleporting objects around itself, just through observation she could come to the conclusion that it was a machine. If it was a machine, she could be sure that her powers would affect it. The only way to find out for sure was to throw all she had at it.

The bolt of electricity she threw ended up slamming into a wall that had been teleported directly in front of her.

The electricity split the wall with easily and she used magnetism to pry the two halves apart so she could quickly regain sight of the giant cross. But by time she did so, it was already gone. At the same time, Misaka had the strange feeling that something was towering over her from behind.

"..Shit—!"

Just as Misaka skidded to a stop, a light appeared beneath her feet. She immediately reached out with her electricity to make an emergency magnetic escape at full power, but she was too late. The next thing she knew, she was a dozen meters in the air, able to see the facility below with ease.

At this height, anyone would die the moment that hit the ground. An 'instant fatality', so to speak. But this put the third level 5 in a good position. She was literally right beside the giant cross that towered twelve meters into the air. She'd already realized that the reason the light only appeared on the ground was because only the ground was being distorted from the teleportation. So long as she was in the air, she couldn't be teleported again.

Which left her free to attack without being teleported once more.

"Well, it's not like it's every day I get to try this in midair on such a large opponent…"

Misaka muttered optimistically to herself as she placed a game coin in the air in front of her without bothering to flick it. She placed her thumb against it and eyed the large pillar directly in front of her before firing the full powered railgun that gave her the epithet she was known by.

The giant cross instantly vanished from sight before the attack reached, letting it pass through midair.

"You think I wouldn't expect that?"

Misaka grinned as she held her other hand out, turning her head at the same time. Though the giant cross' range was not small for a teleport-type esper, proportionally speaking, it wasn't enough. For something so big, it was easy for Misaka to hold her other game coin up and fire another railgun before it could work out the coordinates to teleport once more.

But Misaka wasn't her Five_Over. She wasn't used to firing multiple railguns in a short amount of time, especially in the air while twisting around. Her aim was slightly off, sending the accelerated game coin in the corner of the cross where the two pillars met. The full force of the attack was evaded, in a sense, but it was still enough to send electricity coursing through the length of the pillars and even force the entire cross to tip back slightly, falling toward the ground.

But before it crashed to the ground, it teleported once more. At the same time, a large piece of machinery appeared over Misaka; likely a piece of debris from the facility. If she was left to fall to the ground, she'd be crushed by both gravity and the machinery.

However, it performed the opposite effect. Instead of falling to her doom, Misaka manipulated magnetism to 'grab' the piece of machinery, pulling herself out from directly underneath it and slowing her fall at the same time. By the time she reached the ground, she was able to crouch and land on the balls of her foot without even popping her knee caps as the piece of machinery crash landed behind her.

Misaka immediately looked up to see where the giant cross had gone, expecting another attack. Instead, she saw that it had apparently expected her to die from the falling, turning its attention back to the facility to teleport a chunk from it onto an undestroyed portion.

"Why you…" Misaka muttered as electricity crackled around her body once more. "Stay focused! We're having a fight over here!"

Before she could actually act, something flew over her shoulder and slammed into the debris that was nearly dropped onto the facility. The debris was pushed by the force of the object, flying several yards to the side to land on the ground.

What had done this was a simple rock.

"Tch. That brat is probably still in there somewhere. Do you know what a pain in the ass it would be if you crushed the control tower to the Misaka Network?

* * *

...

Hmm. When I think about it, I feel like I can claim that this fic has a 'theme', just like Kamachi-dono's light novel volumes. If I had to say, it would be 'emotion', or rather, the lack of. Emotionless antagonist, one after another. Comparatively, Misaka is the opposite. She's pretty fun to write with because of that.

Next is an especially important chapter displaying the true worth of a person.


	21. XXI) Burning Wasteland

Tomoe frowned as she stumbled through the facility irritably, holding her bruised side with one hand as she used the other to navigate through the corridors.

A lot was apparently going on outside, apparent from the loud crashes and other noises that reached her ears. This merely prompted her to try to move faster. She could have sworn that she'd felt a draft from outdoors reach her just before one of those crashes sounded. The order was strange, but she could have sworn that part of the facility was no more.

If she didn't hurry, something terrible was bound to happen.

The reason she was holding her side was due to a wound she'd received from the gemstone known as Yomi Tadakatsu.

That man was a member of REGULA, who'd been hired to fend off intruders like her. He'd done his job rather well—he'd stalled Tomoe longer than she would have liked. His gemstone ability allowed him to add or subtract weight to minerals around him, which included the minerals within a human body. When used on another person, he could force them to carry more weight that slowed their movement down, making it easier for him to attack them. It also worked in the reverse, allowing him to speak himself up with less weight to carry. He could also make his sword a force to be reckoned with as he swung it around dangerously and even manipulate the particles in the air before him to part, say, a wall of air created from an esper power.

As Kyouko Sakuya had said, their abilities didn't agree.

Tomoe, on the other hand, had the perfect counter.

Using her ability to manipulate vibrations, she could easily bypass Yomi Tadakatsu's ability. She could vibrate her body, allowing her to easily carry the extra weight, so she wouldn't lose in speed.

Tomoe could only control vibrations as far as three inches away from her body, so it wasn't like she could do anything to Yomi's body without touching him directly. However, she could use the same tactic she always used to give him the wrong impression. By sending vibrations outward and manipulating them before they left her range, she could send them to 'echo' off particles in the air as well as other sound waves, essentially bouncing around and outward.

From a normal person's perspective, Tomoe was amplifying sound waves and expanding her range far beyond what it really was—a useful tactic to put them on their guard unnecessarily. This had been what defeated Yomi Tadakatsu in the end.

After knocking him unconscious, Tomoe immediately rushed off to find someone to show her to where Misaka Worst would be hidden. But strangely enough, the facility was empty. Perhaps it had something to do with what was going on outside, but all of the grunts and scientists had vanished.

This became the source for Tomoe's worries. In the time it took her to incapacitate that member of the dark side, had they managed to take Misaka Worst and relocate her? If they did, all of this would have been for nothing.

From the very beginning, Tomoe knew that Misaka Worst may not have even been there to begin with. But after going through so much, such an event would seem like a cruel joke. Though she was a member of Judgment, such darkness was not something she could attune to easily. She didn't want to spend more time investigating matters along with the sketchy members of CELL, nor did she want to continue fighting against people who she wasn't sure she could arrest. It seemed the normal laws of Academy City didn't necessarily work in this territory, which was vexing enough as it was.

Of course, she had the option to simply forget about Misaka Worst and leave. If she did, she could easily pretend none of this had ever happened and return to her normal life. Perhaps a certain expert at going back and forth had set it up to be that simple, or perhaps she was just fooling herself into thinking it would be over that easily. She didn't know, so there was no point thinking about it.

Whichever way it was, she wouldn't take that route. She'd come to find Misaka Worst and was determined to find her under any circumstances. That was Ibiki Tomoe's decision and a little hardship wouldn't be enough to change her mind.

She gripped her hands together tightly as she continued forward, having found her resolve once more.

As she did, she heard a creaking sound from above and glanced up warily.

Cracks were showing in the roof. As she had thought, something was happening to the facility, causing its foundation to become weak. It didn't seem like the building would be able to hold up its own weight forever.

"Another figure appears during Misaka's epic search for the exit, Misaka exclaims in surprise as Misaka spots another figuring further ahead! Are you trying to find the way out as well, Misaka continues as Misaka extends an offer out of kindness?"

Time froze for a moment as Tomoe heard that childish voice. She looked down the corridor to see two figures ahead of her—one a familiar looking face with an ahoge bouncing over her head, the other a foreign boy dressed in heavy clothes with no expression.

Tomoe's first impression was that this guy was also a part of REGULA, just like the one she'd fought earlier. This was the worst timing; if she tried to use her ability now when the foundation was so unsteady, she stood a real chance of burying them all under the facility, which essentially meant she could not attack. Since she did not know what this guy's ability was or how he fought, the disadvantage was immediately obvious.

The second impression was that the girl greatly resembled Misaka Worst, both in name and appearance, but her size was not the same as the other clones she'd already heard about. Was there some meaning behind it? Or, just maybe, could it have been coincidence?

Tomoe swallowed anxiously as she opened her mouth to voice her question. But before any words could come out, the ground shook along with a distant shockwave. Tomoe, being able to sense and manipulate vibrations within a short three inches of her body, was the first to realize what this meant. She immediately attempted to do something about it with her body, but she could not absorb vibrations—only redirect and cancel them out.

Everything happened far too fast for her to react quickly enough to negate the shockwave that shook the ceiling above them.

First, the cracks spread before the sound of metal falling apart an crashing down sounded. The entire corridor caved in over the three and the little girl with the ahoge let out a shrill and high pitched yell in surprise as the floor beneath them caved in as well, letting them fall to the ground floor below.

Tomoe reflexes had been honed in Judgment training, and so her initial reaction was to naturally protect the innocent bystander. Upon seeing that her ability would not stop the destruction, she'd immediately shot forward with a minor shockwave, diving on top of the little brown haired girl despite the distance between them. Admittedly, this action could carry some of the blame for the floor caving in as well. Either way, Tomoe was determined to cover the girl with her body, protecting her from all debris on the off chance that the child survived the fall to the floor below. If she was going to fall to her death either way, she at least wanted to make sure that she left performing her duty to the best of her ability.

Seconds passed by as Tomoe squeezed her eyes shut, waiting for the debris to enter her body from various angles and for the crushing landing on the bottom floor as the rest of the debris fell on top of her to come.

But this tragedy never came. No crashes sounded and no shockwaves followed the initial destruction of the corridor. Tomoe cracked one eye open when she was sure she hadn't simply gone numb from shock, daring to hope.

The sight before her was more than she could ever imagine. The debris from the roof and walls, as well as the floor below them, had been promptly frozen solid.

Sharp icicles stuck in every direction and the situation appeared very haphazard. From the looks of it, the plumbing in the walls, floor, and ceiling had all naturally burst from the sudden destruction, sending water spraying everywhere. Once frozen, it had connected all of the debris before it spread out too much, freezing large chunks of steel in the air, connecting it to the frozen wall that was split into several sections, just barely keeping it all together.

The cause of this was none other than the heavily dressed foreigner.

The person who Tomoe had assumed was from REGULA had gone out of his way to save both Tomoe and the small girl, but at an expense. It was clear from his pained expression and the way he'd even reflexively thrown his hands out, he was not used to such a sudden and large scale exertion of his esper powers.

The cool blue eyes of the boy met Tomoe and the message was delivered in received clear as day. He wouldn't be able to hold it for much longer. If Tomoe didn't move quickly, they'd all be crushed when the ice gave in under the heavy weight pushing down on it. Hard or soft, ice was simply frozen water. It was no substitute for steel support beams and scaffolding.

Tomoe immediately picked the surprised little girl up in her arms and charged through the frozen corridor, aiming for the safer portion that had not collapsed.

"NOOOO! Misaka cannot leave behind the one she is saving, Misaka exclaims in panic as she attempts to wriggle free from your tight grip! We can't leave him alone!"

"I promise I'll go back for him!" Tomoe ground her teeth as she focused her body on running as fast as she could. The sooner she unloaded the girl, the sooner she'd be able to save that boy. She wasn't sure how exactly—perhaps she could use a sonic boom to propel her forward to cram into him, pushing him onto safe ground. Whatever she was going to do, she'd have to act immediately. The sound of ice cracking just after the short few seconds of being freshly frozen began to reach in her ears, almost like a countdown.

Could she make it?

Tomoe stepped powerfully onto the safe floor and set down the small girl as quickly as she could without dropping her. She then pivoted on her heel rapidly to face to frozen corridor, prepared to activate her powers.

She turned just in time to see the corridor crumble and crash to the floor below, leaving a gaping chasm and a cold wind in front of her.

The sound of the debris and broken ice crashing to the ground seemed to mock her every optimistic thought and action. What made her think she could make it? She wasn't some hero who could always save a life in the last daring moments. There was no way he'd be able to handle the mental stress of forcing ice to carry an entire corridor for long—he'd probably passed out the moment his instinct noticed they were safe.

The shock rendered Tomoe immune to the questions the little girl demanded of her, having turned around far too late, only able to see the empty space of what had been a corridor a moment before. Tomoe didn't know how to answer the girl. Even if she didn't get an answer, she'd probably figure it out anyways.

She'd realize a proud member of Judgment hadn't been able to rescue a single life.

"Ibiki! What are you doing?! We need to get out of here—hey, you brat! Quit pulling!"

While Tomoe stood in shock, Kyouko Sakuya had approached from behind and shook her shoulder. The little girl had begun tugging on Kyouko's skirt, demanding answers, and Kyouko snapped irritably.

"Kyouko…?" Tomoe murmured dumbly as she looked around, still stunned and unable to think properly. "Where's Misaka Worst?"

"Not here. We'll have to settle with this brat for now—I SAID QUIT PULLING! You'll make me drop the money I worked so hard to find!"

"Misaka doesn't care about your materialistic values! Misaka wants to know what is going on, Misaka tries bearing her teeth in an attempt to appear threatening!"

Though it was apparently lost on the other two, a person had just fallen to their death and they still made such noise.

The dark side of Academy City was clearly a cruel and unkind place.

* * *

...

I just have to put this out there; Last Order's a level 3, isn't she? And yet she's portrayed as a character with no combat capabilities. Is it because she's supposed to be a defenseless loli who ties down Accelerator, or is there a reason behind it? Ah well. That's just my personal peeve.

Next chapter, the two level 5 tsunderes shine like the stars!


	22. XXII) Le Rendez-vous et la Sortie

It had all been a pain in the ass from the get go. Misaka Worst disappearing was one thing—that girl could take care of herself. She was a part of the dark side as well, so she had the resources and ability to keep out of trouble when necessary.

Last Order was a completely different situation. Whenever the control tower for the Misaka Network ran off into the city, troublesome things happened. Her curious nature couldn't be helped, but it was really irritating how predictably chaotic it could get when that one girl acted.

That was why Accelerator couldn't stand it when the one guy who he truly couldn't accept had suddenly offered to give him a break and rescue the clones for him.

Accelerator had met Alexander Terrarium when he had first joined GROUP. At first, he didn't understand the various signs of a person meddling within the dark side, but then he realized someone was trying to send a message to him indirectly. Following the trail had ultimately led him to the eccentric man who'd described himself as a ghost.

Accelerator did not know much about him, but he did know one thing.

First off, he didn't understand the exact circumstances behind it, but that man wasn't really a level 5 like the others.

It was simple once you thought about it. Alexander's full potential was only active when faced with danger or anything that would constitute him 'leveling up' like a character in a game. Under normal circumstances, he was simply a powerful level 4 esper.

So, then, why would his level 5 power be picked up by the system scan?

It was similar to a certain level 0 who had defeated the strongest esper in Academy City using a power the system scan could not identify. Or, for a less bitter example, it was similar to how Accelerator was only the strongest level 5 when he switched on the electrode on his collar. Otherwise, he was as powerless as any other level 0, albeit with good survival instincts.

Whether or not Alexander was really the number six was beyond Accelerator's interest. He didn't care either way, honestly. Time and time again, he'd seen powers beyond the simple level by level scale's comprehension. What level the strongest teleport-type was considered didn't change anything. He knew Alexander's potential up close and personal, and that was enough.

He knew that teleportation, no matter how complicated the application, still utilized vectors.

"This shitty machine isn't even close to what he's capable of when he's forced to." Accelerator growled irritably as he pocketed his hands, leaving behind his modernized cane entirely as he glared up at the ominous-looking cross towering over him. "You can't even overlap the items you teleport with objects in the same space due to the conflicting coordinates in your AI, can you?"

Similar to how, in a grid based strategy game, a unit could not move to a spot already occupied by another unit. That just went to show how limited this Five_Over was.

Assuming it was even a Five_Over. For all Accelerator knew, it could have simply been a machine based on the information gathered from the rare amount of teleport-type espers within Academy City.

With a single stomp, the distorting light at his feet dispersed, leaving him unaffected by the teleportation power.

It was so effortlessly crushed, as if it didn't even matter what level this massive cross' power approached. Whether it was level 3, level 4, or level 5, it couldn't match this monster's Vector Control.

So the giant cross continued to keep its distance, unwilling to let Accelerator, who was strolling casually with his hands pocketed, get too close.

It was stalling for time, clearly. It would probably allow Accelerator's battery die while barraging him from afar, waiting for his ability to fade. Then it would crush him with a single attack.

"You think you've really got that much freedom?"

Accelerator clicked his tongue as he frowned at the predictable manner of thinking. It was clear the giant crossed had prioritized him as the greater threat and was focusing on subduing the number one.

That was its biggest mistake.

A moment later, a large hole opened up at the top of the cross, frying right through what seemed like circuit boards.

"AAAAAHHHHH!"

Misaka Mikoto raised both of her hands after unleashing a full powered railgun at an upward angle, sending electricity sparking through the air like a net. Blind siding the giant cross, the metal contraption was completely ripped apart by powerful magnetism as it was unable to calculate coordinates to teleport out of danger.

The dissembled parts fell to the ground with heavy thuds, digging small craters into the ground. Some clue to how the large cross was able to utilize teleportation powers was probably hidden in there somewhere, but neither level 5 was interested.

Another full powered Railgun shook the air, deflecting off of its target and melting a pile of debris from the half destroyed facility to mere magma that cooled almost immediately.

Suzuha Asuna knew enough to make herself scarce at this point. She knew from experience that level 5s were difficult to deal with, especially when they butted heads. Since the danger of her colleagues being crushed had decreased slightly with the easy destruction of the giant cross, she could only hope now that the two monsters of Academy City didn't begin fighting and destroy the rest of the facility by mistake.

"Fancy seeing you here." A half nervous, half excited grin spread across Misaka's face as electricity continued to spark across her body, one hand pointed at Accelerator to fire another attack on a moment's notice. "I told you that I have a lot I want to say to you, remember?"

"I've got nothing to say to you." Accelerator replied bluntly as he turned his back to her, picking up his modernized cane to support himself with. "Talking isn't going to change the past, and there is nothing talking can do to ensure the future. If you want to whine about that damned experiment, I'm really not in the mood."

"Then what are you even doing here?"

"To rescue a brat. That's all."

Misaka's eyebrow twitched slightly at that. Brat? Could he possibly have been referring to Last Order, who she'd only met recently?

"Why are you trying to protect a sister? Are you plotting something else even after so long?"

"Don't be ridiculous." Accelerator spat irritably as he glared at the girl who bore the face of the 10,000 girls he'd killed. He switched off his electrode and leaned against his modernized cane, his expression remaining hard and annoyed. "Do you think that after all of this damned time, I'd have remained the same? That I'd still be trying to kill those brats even now? That stupid experiment is over and I'm not interested in returning to that hell. If you still want to blame me as the villain, go right ahead. No matter what, I killed half of the girls without hesitating. If you want, you can try to take my life in vengeance right now. Let's see just how far that kind of hypocrisy will get you in this world. I'm sure your few seconds of self-satisfaction will definitely make up for having given up your DNA map to begin with, you damned brat."

Misaka's hand continued to tremble and she struggled to keep it pointed at the monster before her. This was the one who had killed so many sisters. He'd been the root of the bloody experiment that she had dragged herself through hell to destroy…hadn't he? Looking at him now, she couldn't believe it was the same person. She remembered a demonic monster who had thought nothing of lives, clone or otherwise. He'd been insane and psychopathic, a fact clear to anyone with eyes. But now those monstrous features were gone. He seemed…different. Was it because of that idiot who managed to defeat the strongest esper in Academy City? Or was it some other reason?

Whatever it was, she had nothing to gain from attacking him. She could see this clearly. No matter who it was, she could never attack someone with the intent to kill if they would refuse to show any hostility even after being threatened up close.

Accelerator watched as Misaka lowered her arm reluctantly, apparently deciding for herself that he wasn't worth it. He knew it was true. Someone like him wasn't worth killing, especially for a girl who still managed to retain her humanity after going through a hell like that experiment. He had no intention of letting her kill him, but he felt better seeing that she could still decide for herself whether or not she would try, regardless of what anyone else wanted. It was for things like this that he still fought the darkness, after all.

"How did you find this place?" Misaka asked after taking a deep breath. She could not bring herself to look directly at him even now. "This is pretty out of the way. Just how did you figure out where to come? Did you follow us?"

"You remember those strange supernatural powers we saw in Hawaii? I've figured out how to use a bit of it. It's not easy, but I got a vague idea of where to find you using it. I got more concrete details after speaking with one of my few contacts left in the dark side."

"And…have you…umm…"

Misaka grimaced as she fell silent. She couldn't ask. It felt too weird to try and ask all of the sudden, especially to someone like him. No matter what, she couldn't bring herself to openly ask about it.

"I haven't heard anything from that guy, if that's what you're wondering. Well; it's not like he has any reason to contact me."

"W-Wha?! I wasn't going to ask about that idiot at all! What makes you think that I was wondering about that?! I've got more important things in mind than him, who's probably fine even though he's stuck in some mess somewhere else! So don't go making random conclusions on your own regardless of how others might really be thinking!"

Accelerator plugged one ear with a finger irritably as he tried to ignore Misaka, who suddenly became flustered for some reason, acting out of character as her cheeks reddened. He was thankful when a figure appeared out of nowhere to distract Misaka's attention.

"Oooooooneeeeeeee-saaaaaamaaaaaa! Are you alright? Please tell me you're not hurt anywhere! Did those brutes do unkind things to you?!"

"Wai—Kuroko! Quit clinging to me! Why are you trying to take off my shirt?!"

"I must inspect your body for any wounds to make sure you are truly unharmed—"

A sound similar to lightning cracking split the air as a charred twintail collapsed to the ground, twitching feebly. The young man who was probably the twintail's acquaintance shook his head in exasperation as he witnessed the blackened form of his superior, murmuring 'Senpai…' in disappointment.

"Ah, that's right." Misaka glanced back toward the silent Asuna as she remembered the problem they still had, despite the seemingly peaceful aura the outdoors now had. "Your friends are still in there, right? Kuroko can teleport us in there, so—"

"Friends? I didn't want to work with these kind of people precisely because I didn't want that misunderstanding…"

This hallow voice came from the girl who appeared to have been standing there the entire time along with two others. One was cuddling a chrome briefcase that was likely filled with money while the other's eyes lit up as she spotted the cripple albino.

"Ah! Misaka cries as Misaka—"

"LIIIIIITTLEEEEEE OOOOOOOONEEEEE!"

Before Last Order could get a whole sentence out, Suigetsu Rumiho pounced out of nowhere like a lioness on her cub, cuddling the small girl to death, literally. Last Order immediately began to protest, but the relieved Rumiho paid no mind to it.

Kuroko, on the other hand, was staring at the other two girls suspiciously, having already recovered from the merciless electric shock.

"The way you appeared out of nowhere…it was teleportation, wasn't it? Could it be…"

"Hmm? Oh, an accomplice of ours teleported us out of the building since it was too dangerous to wander around. He didn't come with us, though, since he dislikes appearing before people needlessly."

"I KNEW IT!"

Kuroko clawed at her scalp as she yelled toward the heavens with a tragic tone.

"That can only be that melodramatic brute who claims to be the strongest teleport-type esper! I should have guessed that he would be at the heart of this matter in some way! Wherever there is chaos without a precise cause, he is sure to be nearby! That fool acts so superior just because he can teleport other teleports with physical contact when they're distracted! I swear, I'll arrest him the next time I see him!"

"I don't think you'll find enough proof to arrest him with, Shirai." Tomoe murmured listlessly with a small frown carved onto her face. Her eyes were empty even as she showed vague signs of life in her movement. It was as if there was no more hope in her movements. "Everything's pretty messed up, after all…"

The creaking sound of a moving skeleton could be heard as Kuroko turned her furious gaze in Tomoe's direction.

"Ibiki Tomoe…do not even speak. Why are you even here?! Are you saying you are _acquainted _with that incomprehensible miscreant?! You must stop that at once! He will cause you nothing but grief and trouble! He's just a histrionic high schooler suffering from eight grader syndrome and refuses to grow up from that phase!"

A short silence followed them, which caused Last Order to glance around in confusion even as Suigetsu remained absorbed in cuddling her. Okahara Ryouta and Misaka were equally as confused, wondering about everyone's lack of response.

_Somebody finally said it!_

Everyone present who knew who Kuroko was referring to silently agreed with all of their heart and passion. No matter how much they told him directly, that guy never listened. Just dealing with him was enough to tire them out. They all dearly hoped that he was nearby, listening to the truth of the matter.

Just then, Accelerator's phone rang in his pocket and he put it to his ear without answering. The voice spoke regardless, already aware that he was there.

"Hello, Accelerator? It's me. I was just doing a checkup on a sister and noticed a strange abberation in the network. Skipping the tedious explanation, could you bring Last Order to me? I want to do a quick check up on her before any strange inconsistencies appear when you try to use your powers."

This voice undoubtedly belonged to the frog faced doctor who looked after the Sisters and had saved Accelerator from death when he had been shot in the brain. Accelerator owed this man his life and he was one of the very few people Accelerator was willing to trust with the control tower of the Misaka Network . Even so, Accelerator found it hard to take a kind tone with him, as with anyone else. Accelerator had done some pretty rude and violent things to him in the past, and he had no intention of repenting for them.

"Can you track down a missing Sister if I bring her to you?"

"Hmm? That would be difficult. With Last Order, it might be possible to find the extent of the Misaka Network over the world, but finding a specific sister among the scattered 10,000 is a different story entirely. It would be a lot easier to ask Last Order herself by giving her the specific serial number."

That was as much as Accelerator had expected. Last Order was the control tower that could send commands to the other sisters and pretty much force them to do as she said when needed, and could even cut off the Misaka Network from Accelerator, crippling him entirely. But when it came to Misaka Worst, who was from the Third Season of Sisters, Last Order had trouble imposing her will. Misaka Worst was able to block out everything except for the filtered negativity from the entire Misaka Network, so Last Order could not send or receive information from Misaka Worst

But it didn't hurt to have asked anyway.

"Come on, brat." Accelerator snapped as he shut his phone and pocketed it. "We've got to go."

"Misaka attempts to follow after that rude and embarrassed 'Let's go home' line, but the overly attached electromaster wannabe keeps her from leaving, Misaka cries miserably as Misaka attempts once more in vain to escape her bonds!"

"I'm sorry, child, but for some reason we're attracted to each other like magnets of different polarities. I can't let go even if I want to."

Rumiho's excuse was a result of her own power reacting to Last Order, who was well aware of the trick as she attempted to pry herself from the Tokiwadai student. Rumiho continued to cuddle the small girl without restraint, acting just as captivated as Sakuya with her money.

"Misaka requests help, Misaka presses as Misaka notices a lack of help coming her way!"

"I don't care if you bring someone along just as long as we can get there without a problem."

Accelerator's response was harsh and indifferent as he continued forward with his back to Last Order, who soon broke into desperate tears as Rumiho grinned victoriously, hopping up with Last Order still in her arms.

"You traitor! You cruel defector! Is this some kind of punishment, Misaka wonders as she reflects strongly on her pass actions, wondering if she crossed the line somewhere?!"

"We'd better get going as well." Asuna muttered after those three had left the facility's perimeter. "We have to review our information and sort out our next move, so we'll need to meet with the others soon."

"…Why is this strange and suspicious girl speaking to you as if you are compatriots in some greater scheme?" Kuroko asked with a suspicious tone as she glared toward Tomoe once more. Tomoe ignored her colleague as she regarded Asuna without any energy.

"Can I take a break? A lot happened today and I'm pretty exhausted. I don't plan to back down or give up—I still plan to find Worst. Just give me some time to process everything that happened."

Asuna folded her arms over her chest as she looked Ibiki Tomoe up and down. The girl was definitely winded and exhausted. There was no doubt in Asuna's mind that the chaos of this darkness had been a lot to take in for a girl who wasn't used to it. In a way, she could sort of relate.

"That's probably for the best. Sakuya and I will contact you again in a few days. Is that alright with you?"

"Yeah…I guess."

"Well, it's not okay with _ME!"_

Kuroko stomped one foot furiously as she was ignored once again, and her male colleague who also wore a Judgment band put one hand on her shoulder sympathetically.

"Don't worry too much, Senpai. We've got a lot we need to focus on dealing with as it is."

"…Could you please not touch me and try to comfort me as if we're old friends? The more you do that, the less likely Onee-sama is to try to comfort me instead."

Okahara Ryouta wept silently as he struggled to brush off the cold tone he was referred to with.

"I mean it, though." He continued bravely as he withdrew his hand. Misaka silently praised him from the sidelines. "We have to process all of those criminals we incapacitate and write a report for what happened here. Frankly, I don't get what's going on, but it doesn't look like it's really in our jurisdiction to look more deeply into this."

"…True. I wanted to hunt down that guy and force him to explain everything, but it might be better to just do our job properly…"

Kuroko puffed her cheeks out in what she hoped to be a cute manner as she looked up toward the third level 5.

"Perhaps if Onee-sama hunted him down in my place, it might be more effective to get him to talk…"

"Hmm? Sorry, Kuroko. I wasn't paying any attention. What did you want?"

Misaka cocked her head as she turned her attention from the silent facility to Kuroko, who face-palmed in exasperation at her roommate's absent-mindedness.

"Honestly, Onee-sama…are you still thinking about that monkey?"

"Actually, I was just thinking about how there's a strange cold breeze. It suddenly got chilly, didn't it?"

"Chilly?! That's my cue to show of my skill with my upgrade pyrokinesis!"

"W-Wait! Hold on! You'll set us all on fire if you just throw your fireball at us like thaaaaaaaaat!"

* * *

...

This was the longest chapter and I feel quite impressed with myself. I normally struggle to write with so many characters all in one place like this, but I think I balanced the personalities rather well (especially Kuroko) after taking the time to really think 'what would this character say at this point?' Amazingly enough, Kamachi's characters are well defined to the point where someone who reads the light novel can easily tell the characters apart by personality. Just another reason to call the man a genius.

Anyways, it always bothered me how the moment Misaka and Accelerator meet again after the experiment was never properly done. Sure, they technically don't have much to say to one another, but I feel that the short back and forth they had during the Hawaii Arc didn't do it justice. At least, it was a lot bigger in my head...

By the way, Accelerator's 'contact' was the blonde Hawaiian-shirt wearing siscon/spy. Now HE should have been in NT3. His character was practically designed for it!

Next chapter, we see the two who didn't get much of a spotlight once more.


	23. XXIII) The Darkest of Eyes

Day or night, the dark side was still the dark side. Unless you went to search in dark alleys or in basements (metaphorically speaking), you would never find the shady jobs and transactions that went on in Academy City. All you would see is the perfect, pristine, 'new' aura that you are meant to see. Frankly, there was nothing wrong with that. Normal people did not need to see the darkness that supported Academy City, and rarely did they ever want to. There were all kinds of obvious reasons that the dark side hid from the normal people, but in essence, it was simply the way it was meant to be. It had even reached the point where seeing the darkness blending in became a part of the scenery.

Such as the car shop that had so few working hours, one would rarely catch it during its operation hours by coincidence. Whenever they would pass by, a different car would occasionally be out there, showing that the shop was still active.

Or so it seemed. If you just rotated which car was out there every once in a while, such an illusion could be maintained, allowing the regular passersby to come to their own conclusion.

Such camouflage would hide the sight of a man being pinned roughly to the floor inside without mercy, having his arms locked behind his back as his chin dug into the dirty ground.

"That's one more point for me, huh, Ken-kun? It looks like I was dead on this time!"

Sawada Kensuke sat on the previously described man's back as he made sure the man couldn't move, frowning through his glasses as Tsurara Jūbei celebrated behind him, skipping through the small dark room, thanks to the blinds covering the windows.

The room was clearly not one that should be in a car shop. It looked like a hideout, if nothing else, and had a suspicious looking sheet draped over some object in the corner of the room.

"A mind control machine, is it?" Kensuke muttered as information entered his mind through his palms, which were in contact with the man below him. "I guess that's what's under that sheet over there. I'll also guess that it doesn't work properly."

"Who…the heck…are you?" The man's voice was muffled as Kensuke tightened his grip on his hair, tugging at his scalp painfully.

"I'm the one asking the questions. Some Anti-Skill members show signs of having had their memories messed with. The clues brought us here. I want you to answer a few questions. Sounds simple, right? You can try lying, but me and my colleague here won't be fooled. I can monitor your heartbeat just by being in contact with you."

"'Colleague'…?" Jūbei frowned pettily as she murmured the cold word with dissatisfaction.

"Why the hell should I tell you anything?" The man demanded as he stopped struggling to break free of Kensuke's hold, seeing how useless it was. "As if a kid like you can do anything."

"I deduced that the machine you used probably affects brain cells somehow, probably destroying the ones holding specific memories while allowing the brain to instinctively fabricate inaccurate new memories in order to fill the void. Am I right?"

"I'm…not gonna…talking."

"Your heart's beating fast, so I must be on the right track."

"He'll crack in a few minutes after you start tickling his throat and plucking his eyelashes." Jūbei suddenly spoke up with a matter-of-fact voice, as if everything she was saying was 100% confirmed. "He starts going on and on about how he was forced to do it and says something about a 'failed Five_Over."

"'Failed'? Oh, I get it."

"Wha—how the hell did that bitch—"

Kensuke pushed the man's face into the floor once against, exerting enough pressure to endanger his nose's position.

"If you keep talking out of line," Kensuke spoke with a warning tone though he remained completely calm. "I'll break your nose."

That shut the man up. It was clear he wasn't mentally prepared to be serious tortured, if such petty threats worked. Kensuke used the momentary silence to think for a bit as he considered this new information.

If it was a failed Five_Over, it must have been a failed attempt to replicate the number five's ability. It was obvious to him how useless it was in that sense. Since it had been abandoned, it wasn't surprising this guy had gotten a hold of it. It had probably been given to him by Kihara Bunshi to allow him to mess with the Anti-Skill members' brains for his own purposes that suited his own as well.

So a factor here was this man's reason for destroying the memories of the Anti-Skill unit. However, Kensuke quickly decided that whatever personal vendetta this man had, it was not relevant to the case. Someone else would deal with it.

"Where was that girl taken?" Kensuke demanded as he raised the man's head up slightly.

"He doesn't know about Worst." Jūbei spoke before the man could. She cupped her chin with her thumb and curled forefinger as she glanced toward the ceiling absently, apparently deep in thought. "In fact, from the looks of it, he doesn't know anything beyond using the machine."

"Not even anything specific to Kihara?"

"Not sure. Try provoking him a bit and I might be able to see more clearly. But you'll have to hurry up—Anti-Skill will be here soon."

Kensuke dithered as he frowned down at the guy. There were more questions he wanted to ask, but he didn't doubt Jūbei's precognition. There was probably no point on continuing to harass this man.

"Asuna's going to be pissed that we didn't get any concrete clues yet." Kensuke sighed as he drew a pair of handcuffs from his pocket and handcuffed the man to the nearby table. He began to yell and howl, begging them to let him get away, but they exited the 'car shop' without glancing back. "We only managed to shed some light on how Worst had been kidnapped, which doesn't change how things are now."

"Our opponent isn't too bad this time around." Jūbei grinned genially as she strode beside Kensuke, not a single trace of worry on her face. "They know that if we get close enough, we'll be able to get all the information to put an end to things in an instant. That's why we're the ultimate detective duo."

Kensuke sighed miserably as Jūbei made it sound like their power was more than it really was. He wasn't fond of using his esper powers to coerce people and get his way, but it was convenient. The last thing he wanted was to become the type who took his special ability for granted.

"Hey, Ken-kun." Jūbei spoke suddenly as she cocked her head, looking toward the sky once more. "What would you think if we got involved with 'them' during this investigation?"

"Hmm? What makes you ask that? As members of Freshman, it's pretty obvious that we'd take a hostile approach. It's the official reason behind our formation after the war in Russia, after all."

"I see. It's just that I suddenly got a strange feeling. I don't know why, though…"

"Whenever you 'get a feeling', it's reason enough to run for cover…"

"Now, let's see here…" Kihara Bunshi muttered as he paced down a hallway with a wall on one side and a wide window on the other. The window showed a large room on a lower elevation that was as large as a plane hangar. It was filled with special pods and had a single cubicle sealed with a roof in one corner that was home to a very special guest. "Taking into account the wide range of AIM dispersion throughout the world thanks to the military clones, I thought the Anti-ESP fluid would have a good chance, but I guess it's out. It really sucks that it swells and self-destructs after taking in too much AIM. The estimation is that it would soak up too much AIM just by being out in the air for twelve hours."

Kihara Bunshi crumpled the paper on the clipboard he held and stuck it into the pocket of his jacket.

"Ah, my ongoing project with affecting Personal Realities. It definitely seems promising. Though it's quite different from the Dark May Project, we have definitely confirmed that tweaking and/or sealing the personalities of an esper definitely has an effect, be it negative or positive. Chester has specifically shown remarkable change for some reason, though I'll have to look more deeply into it. The other case…well, he's far too complicated to really say anything aside from change has happened. The plan will continue in order to gain more intel."

Another page was ripped and pocketed.

"On that subject, there's the Grand Shift. Ideally, I'd like a machine that can fold dimensions to freely teleport objects wherever and whenever. But teleportation is a temperamental subject that is hardly understood. We hardly managed to imitate the effects by gathering information on all teleport-type espers and giving an AI the ability to _warp objects through particle manipulation_. By brightening its range with lights, it can move solid matter within its 2D range by manipulating the particles as a whole via artificial psychokinesis using pressure systems and vibrations. Technically speaking, this is utterly useless as a war weapon against anything that can avoid being crushed to death or flattened from a high altitude…definitely scrapping this one."

Rip and pocket.

Kihara Bunshi sighed as he looked at the last page, stopping before the door to the control room. This last one particularly bothered him. Of all the projects, this was the only one he hadn't wanted to take.

"…Any conclusions made now are useless without the results from Ransuu and Byouri's technology utilizing the level 5 derivations in Baggage City."

With that, Kihara Bunshi ended his brief personal review by taking a lighter out along with all of the crumpled pieces of paper and set the papers on fire. He watched as they blackened and shriveled, turning to merely ashes on the floor.

After watching the records of his recently concluded experiments (plus one) he pushed open the door to check on the remainder of his experiments.

The control room should have been empty at the time, but someone sat at the main computer, apparently making use of it. Kihara approached the large swivel chair from behind and glanced down at the figure with a raised eyebrow.

"This is a surprise. I didn't think you'd get up to do anything without any motivation."

"My subordinate, Yomi Tadakatsu, vanished. Shidou was arrested and a good portion of his followers were arrested as well, leaving the subordinate organization in a bit of disarray. And for some reason, Chester won't talk to me."

The girl sitting in the swivel chair spoke without a hint of hostility in her voice. In fact, she seemed as relaxed and calm as a person could be.

She was a young woman a bit on the short side, wearing a suit with a short skirt instead of pants, indicating the woman equivalent of formal attire. She had silver hair tied into twin-tails that laid across her shoulders, which shifted constantly as she worked with the mouse on the computer.

This was Tsubomi Shion, the woman in charge of REGULA, one of the field operation groups among Freshman.

She had not done a single bit of work throughout the entire job they'd been given regarding Last Order.

The reason was simple; she'd been too lazy.

Kihara Bunshi knew that this girl was intelligent beyond her years. In fact, he was sure that if she harbored more of a thirst for knowledge instead of her pointless goal of 'conserving energy', she might have qualified as a Kihara.

However, that was a pointless speculation. She was not a Kihara. That, in and of itself, meant quite a bit.

"Kihara, was all of this planned, by any chance? You almost failed."

Kihara Bunshi shrugged at her comment.

"It was all necessary. Taking precautions to make everything go perfectly is a waste. It's better to let things get out of hand and watch the situation reach its breaking point. If not, you'll never know where that limit is, and you won't know how far you can push things."

"So Yomi-kun and Shidou-kun were necessary sacrifices?"

"I suspect that Yomi Tadakatsu vanished to go find and rescue his friend. I can hardly claim the responsibility for that."

"Then perhaps you can take responsibility by telling me just who it was that had saved Last Order? Or, rather, who it was that brought CELL against us? Or would you prefer I ask who provoked the number one to take action? Whichever you decide on, I'm sure I'll get the same answer."

Kihara resisted a grin as Tsubomi Shion looked up at him with curious and challenging eyes. This girl was definitely sharper than she let on.

"As you know, the situation has gotten out of hand. I didn't bother accounting for different situations, so I didn't bother thinking about the possibilities. I don't know about each individual motivation those involved had."

Tsubomi Shion continued to observe Kihara with a raised eyebrow before shrugged, returning her attention to the computer.

"Well, I really didn't expect you to tell me. I found it strange that the obedient Chester-kun would refuse to tell me who had managed to hurt him so badly when the only other person he listens to over me is you."

Tsubomi was probably onto something, but she didn't pursue it. Instead, she clicked on a link and a video popped up on the screen.

"I managed to salvage this from the footage of one of the security cameras that was destroyed along with part of the facility. It's blurry and poor quality, but it's best the damaged piece of technology had to offer."

Tsubomi Shion tapped the spacebar and the video feed began. It showed an entire four seconds of footage, showing nothing but a hallway. Kihara raised an eyebrow when the video ended.

"Are you sure that wasn't just a glitch?"

"So you saw it on your first try? I missed it the first time around. But I doubt such a high tech camera could glitch before being damaged. I freeze framed it and zoomed in, but no matter how much I increase the quality, it stays a blur. I get the feeling that that isn't the cameras fault."

Looking at the four seconds of video careful, one would notice a quick movement on the screen after it hit two seconds. It was only for a split second, but there was definitely a single frame of video where a figure appeared with human features.

Such a small and insignificant thing would normally go completely unnoticed.

An excited grin spread across the lazy leader of REGULA as she leaned toward the screen restlessly. It was an expression that lacked something essential to the human mental structure.

It was an expression Kihara Bunshi felt should have been on a Kihara's face.

Which is why he decided to keep his secret for a bit longer. It seemed like a waste to him, considering the role Freshman was meant to play. It was a small chance, but he wanted to see just how far this lazy girl could go.

* * *

...

The second to last chapter has finally arrived. I've been doing a lot of planning for the next part of the story, so you'll have to excuse the tardiness of this one. This was a good way to tie up a lot of things and show of some characters who didn't get the chance to be seen as often earlier in the story. Tsubomi...she's going to be fun to write with. Has a whole background story and everything. Plus, she's eccentric. I love my eccentric characters. I just hope Kihara Bunshi is shown in the novels before I really have to use him, or else things will be awkwardly...not canon. As if I haven't already botched him up as it is.

Speaking of botching up canon characters, the next part with feature a certain level 5 as a main character as well as expand a bit on the Dark May Project (which has already been sort of hinted at being involved on two occasions). And no, it is not Accelerator. Or Railgun.

One more chapter of A Certain Dangerous Experiment left. So...close...to finishing...


	24. XXIV) The Middlemen

"From the looks of things, the Ghost of Academy City has gotten pretty active. The forums are raging, linking a bunch of events to one source!"

"That seems a bit sketchy, though…All of these things are unrelated. A company CEO going bankrupt, the training of a new level 5, a bunch of men in black infiltrating Academy City's borders…even the death of an Anti-Skill member?! Not to mention one of these is related to Judgment! It looks to me—"

"—like a bunch of unrelated events are being forcibly linked together by the imagination of others? Next you'll tell me Jack the Ripper was just a myth, too! No; this is definitely the real deal!"

"But a ghost in this city of technology is a bit…"

"Wouldn't something capable of evading the eyes of all Academy City's technology be something worth making a rumor about? The reason why things like luck and jinxes haven't been disproven yet is because the chances still allow them to happen! The large possibility of it being a fake rumor means nothing until it has been investigated! That is what makes my job so exciting!"

"Hunting for random rumors…is a job?"

Deep inside a black room was a capsule filled with bronze colored liquid that seemed more gold when you didn't stare at it directly. The room was definitely black, but not because it was dark, but rather because that was the actual color of the room. Golden lines that seemed like the design was inspired by a combination of power lines and runic symbols ran across the floor, creating what may have been a computer grid that glowed with enough light to make it possible to see, though many parts of the room remained too dark to make out nonetheless.

A longhaired figure remained suspended within the capsule of bronze liquid. Though he was upside down, he showed no signs of disorientation or discomfort as he listened to the random conversation picked up by the Underline, which spread out all through Academy City.

This man was androgynous, appearing somewhere between a male and a female in a green robe, holding the evil of a sinner, yet the innocence of a saint. Even his expression, though not necessarily neutral, appeared to be in between any and every emotion a human face could offer.

He was a man who could truly and undoubtedly be considered a part of the 'grey' area.

"Fufufu…the 'Ghost of Academy City', huh? It must take quite an effort to portray oneself as an urban legend by choice. Tell me, Kisaragi Suzaku. How did your latest 'game' go? Rather than simply watching the dominos you set up collapse after a single prod here and there, you had the chance to experience things more personally, did you not?"

"…As expected, Superintendent Crowley. It seems you expected that I'd come. I, however, did not wish to see your face quite so soon."

Alexander Terrarium stood before the capsule with one hand pushing his bangs back in a posture a bishonen from an anime might commonly make. His emerald gaze peered up toward the person who better embodied all that Alexander stood for, and yet was entirely different from what Alexander visualized and strived to be. The expression the self-proclaimed hero had on his face held nothing to offer even to an expert who could glean a human's state of mind with a single glance. Simply put, Alexander currently felt nothing.

This was the man who stood at the very top of the high pedestal Alexander slowly chipped away at bit by bit. But Alexander had never felt the slightest inclination to knock this man to the earth. Fate had just happened to put them at the opposite ends of the spectrum, embodying the same ideal while being the exactly opposite in terms of positioning.

Perhaps that was why Aleister Crowley had never used any counters to prevent the strongest teleporter from entering the windowless building. Alexander was no direct threat to him.

However…

"Listen to my words, Superintendent Crowley. I do not understand what you are planning—I cannot even begin to fathom the depths of which your mental capacity resides in. Nevertheless, I would be ill suited of my name if I did not warn you."

"I just wish to confirm what appears to be unspoken, but are you trying to say you've noticed that I am plotting something?"

"Not even a child would fail to wonder this, Superintendent; 'Why was Academy City created'? We've been given dissatisfying answers that appear to be logically based, but a philosophical sounding question is rarely meditated on unnecessarily. Everyone knows there is a secret we cannot see, but they simply ignore it to retain their peaceful lives. But after today, I cannot ignore it any longer. This day gave me quite some insight on the main pieces who are involved in—"

"You used recent events to observe the Freshman and a Kihara—both of whom are involved with the existence of supernatural powers beyond what we know as 'esper powers'. It is a fairly roundabout and difficult way of doing it, but you seemed to have achieved your goal, at the very least."

Aleister Crowley sped up what might have been a lengthy conversation from Alexander with a light tone. Alexander frowned slightly at the ambiguous figure of a man as his eyes narrowed slightly.

"This is a wide world, Superintendent Crowley. Though I live in a world dominated by technology, I have never doubted for a moment that there are things outside of our logic. But that liquid that is supposed to be a creation of science along with that large cross that could mimic teleportation both left an impression on me and I began to think. 'Aren't there many scientific things that resemble science fiction?' 'Isn't science itself just another way of perceiving reality'? 'Is—'"

"'—there any reason to think that esper powers are really scientific, when we may just be explaining one thing as something else?' Really, Kisaragi. It is obvious that you have quite the imagination, but you're usually much more reasonable. From the very beginning, there has been no way to definitely confirm our perceptions as reality or delusions. So from the very beginning, your line of thinking was nonsense."

Alexander cupped his forehead with one hand as he began to chuckle softly. Aleister's expression did not change as he observed this with a level gaze.

"I see…" Alexander muttered with a small sigh. "From the very beginning, I have had no right to speak of whether what one sees is the truth or a delusion. I, who have been brainwashed and is currently no better than an otaku from the eighth grade, cannot lecture anyone on a subject so commonly disputed in this world."

"Are you discouraged by this?"

"Not in the very least. It seems that this is all beyond me, but I will not stand aside and do nothing. No…from the very beginning, I have not been the type to stand in the front lines. I am not the epic hero who wins with pure force of will. Nor am I the dark hero who walks along the path of redemption, using the darkness within the destroy the darkness as it attempts to swallow others. I am not even fit to be a tragic hero who loses everything due to one flaw. From the beginning, I can only blend in with the crowd near the action, performing my job from the shadows to destroy all unnecessary obstacles before the path of the true heroes. I prod them into action when needed. I switch the tracks to change the direction they are headed in. I create coincidences and relieve some of the burden of fate and destiny. But there is no shame in that. I, Alexander Terrarium, proudly claim the title of the revolutionary _**support hero!**__**"**_

Alexander's grin returned as he swept his hand in a dramatic gesture, motioning toward Aleister without any shame. Still, Aleister's unfathomable face did not change as he gave his unperturbed reply.

"It is true that you are not an unpredictable factor that surpasses the margin of error. You are not an essential gear that goes beyond reason. Nonetheless, you, like the others, know that there is something going on, even if you are unaware of what it is. So tell me; what do you plan to do?"

"My dear Superintendent. I know that you are already well aware of the answer. Nevertheless, I shall humor you with a reply. This world is unique. Impressively so, in fact. Did you know? No matter what happens, it shall recover with time. Do you know what would happen if all of humanity were to die out?"

"It would slowly, but surely, heal, returning to its original state before humans existed."

"Exactly!"

Alexander swung his arm in another dramatic gesture, as if he were swinging a baton to direct an orchestra. His smile had a slightly excited light to it now, as if he were gaining energy with every passing minute.

"This world is extremely balanced. Life seems so delicate and coincidental, but this world naturally and absolutely recovers, denying any and all changes that upset its balance. It is for this reason that all attempts to change this world have failed! That is why I warn you today, Superintendent! Your plan will most definitely fail! I need no proof to offer you, either! There are billions of people on this earth. Do you believe that your grand plan is above them all? That they will all agree with you? That no one will be able to stop you? Ridiculous. You should very well know that among the many in the world, someone will definitely knock you from your pedestal. That is simply the way of the world. The more grand your scheme, the more people it involves. The more people it involves, the higher the chance that your bane shall arrive and knock you to the earth! That is the law! And so, Superintendent, I shall bid you a short good bye. I shall be waiting for you on the earth, watching with great interest. I truly wish to witness who shall put an end to your grand scheme!"

Alexander waved one hand behind him as he swiftly turned on his heel, turning his back to Aleister. In the next moment, silence returned to the room, with only the faint sound of a life support machine audible in the background. Aleister continued to float where he was, his lips curled slightly into an ironic smile.

That one conversation had been unbelievably ironic. Kisaragi Suzaku was no threat, that was for certain. But he'd accidently referenced many things that no one but Aleister himself could understand.

A person would certainly knock him from his pedestal? Alexander's phrase seemed like a more dramatic and less original version of having one's illusions shattered. Looking at it that way, Aleister already knew the experience. He'd already exercised his control over that unpredictable factor. The same for any bane that would foil his plans. He knew very well what sort of person Kisaragi had been referring to. In fact, a plan was already in motion to see if something could be done about such dangerous factors, though he had already predicted the outcome. And the world continuing the balance itself…well, that was complicated. It just went to show how dry Aleister's humor was, considering someone who was in his position should not have been spending time musing about such things.

"And so he continues on with his plans to defeat Kihara Bunshi." Aleister's voice spoke aloud, though he still did not open his mouth. "I suppose he could be referred to as an interesting individual. I wonder what affect he would have on my unpredictable factor…Though I imagine a somewhat boring and typical outcome for even that melodramatic liar."

* * *

...

I've waited so long to make a comparison between these two. It's just so...ironic. They're literally one another's reciprocals-the same, but the opposite. Naturally, Aleister was simply messing with Alexander the entire time, letting the guy rant. The one thing that bothers me is that the windowless building is so impregnable and nearly indestructible, probably with a labyrinth of magic and science within that makes it a veritable 'last boss' tower on lunatic mode (with side bosses on the immortal Fraulene's level), but a teleporter can just go in and out freely. Sure, it made this encounter easy to set up, but...really? That's a pretty big hole in the defense system. The Superintendent should really find room in the budget to do something about that. But honestly, Alexander's opinion is my opinion. Kamachi-dono most certainly has a unique and completely unpredictable ending for us in some years time, but I expect it to end in Aleister's ultimate failure.

But enough pointless speculation. This is the last chapter for a Certain Dangerous Experiment! (Applause) But it's not the end of the story. Nope; there's a whole separate story coming that will continue, this time focusing on more canon main characters. Alexander will be here and there, being the ghost that he is. There will be more interesting encounters! More amusing clashes of personality! More convoluted plot! Magic! More melodramatic rants! Even a cat! That's right, a cat!

Look forward to A Certain Disastrous Investigation!


End file.
